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Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1

2015-08-24T22:26:56Z

Platypi4E4: Part 1 of many potential edits to Volume 1

== Chapter 1 - Eco the Dragon Girl ==
=== Part 1 ===

Ash's body shuddered. He clearly felt the presence of someone sneaking into his room and crawling onto the bed.



''You're not letting me off tonight either... ?''

In the pitch-black darkness, the girl's hair and skin had a piercingly cold radiance.

The full moon outside the window overhung the horizon.

Ash remembered clearly that he had closed the curtains before sleeping.



"Fufu... it's a beautiful night, don't you think so?"

The girl looked at Ash disdainfully with the eyes of a conqueror. Her lips showed a bewitching smile. 

"Uuu!"

Ash, who was lying on the bed, suddenly could not move.

The girl had sat on Ash's abdomen with her legs spread out. Instead of oppression, Ash could feel warmth coming from the part of his abdomen that was in contact with the lower half of the girl's body.



A faint aroma permeated the room.

What a bewitchingly beautiful girl. 

She had pink waist-length hair with a silver shine, snow-white skin and ruby-coloured eyes. 

She was only wearing the bare minimum of clothing and was almost naked.

The two big bulges on her chest in front of Ash's face shook slightly.

On each side of her head grew a horn that was no different from a dragon's.

"Who are you? Why are you always...... uuuuu!" 

Ash's question was forcefully interrupted. The upper half of the girl's body slowly approached and hugged Ash tightly.

Her smooth white skin came into contact with Ash's body with nothing in between. 

Her luscious lips whispered into Ash's ear.

"I will also dote on you well tonight."

After letting out a hot breath of air, the girl nibbled Ash's earlobe. <nowiki>*</nowiki>Kaa—* The sound was similar to that of biting the ear's bone.

“N-no...... Don't do that......!"

Ash's body trembled non-stop as if struck by lightning.

The girl greedily devoured Ash's body. Neck, chest, waist, arms…… the numbness from her tender tongue and sparkling teeth sliding across his skin almost made Ash lose his mind.

As usual, the girl shifted her body as she pleased in that position tonight. It was like a dance. 

It had been seven days since the appearance of the mysterious girl: the girl who appeared at Ash's bedside every night, and spent every moment teasing him playfully.

Who on earth is she? What motive does she have? Why are there two horns growing on her head? 

The girl never answered questions.

She always danced on Ash's body and left taking light steps slowly.



The girl's teasing was in full force. Ash would always end up lying on the bed exhausted after the ordeal. Currently sitting by the window, the girl was lifting her slender and beautiful legs with a composed expression.



According to his experience from the past six days, the girl was now going to disappear before Ash's eyes. 

''After all, this is only a dream...''

When he opened his eyes, he would be seeing the usual morning. 

At least, it had been so for the past six days.

"My name is Navi."

Ash was shocked from suddenly hearing a name that he did not recognise.

This was the first time hearing the girl say her own name.



Ash gathered the last bit of his strength, barely managing to lift up the upper part of his body.

"Navi...... Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"To entrust myself, who is about to be born soon, to you... consider it a form of ritual." , 

"I don't get what you mean."

"See you, until next time when we meet in real life!"

Navi's figure became countless silver particles and disappeared in the bright moonlight.

=== Part 2 ===
<nowiki>*</nowiki>—Dong*

At dawn, Ash was abruptly awoken by the sound of a large cannon being fired.

A few seconds later, he then realised that the huge sound was actually from the releasing of fireworks using Oracles. 

Ash was in Apollo House, the dormitory where male students of the Advanced Course lived<ref>There seems to be another name for the courses such as Yunios for Basic Course as seen in the manga, since my raws used the terms "Basic Course" and "Advanced Course", I shall leave it be</ref>.

A few months earlier, after completing three years of basic courses, Ash had successfully become a first-year student of the Advanced Course and earned the qualification to live in Apollo House. 

The biggest difference between Apollo House and other dormitories was the one person, one room system. Compared to the past whereby three people had to squeeze into one small room, life in Apollo House was like heaven.

"Uuu......it's cold!"

Ash's shoulders shivered the moment he got out of bed.

The dawn of early spring still carried a deep chill. Bearing  with the impulse to rush back into bed, Ash pulled open the curtains.

Ash's room was on the third floor. One could see the whole field by standing by the window. 

There were many students in the field at dawn carrying out preparation work for the "celebration". There were also a lot of riders on their dragons.

Teams of Stradas<ref>Literally air/winged dragon (second interpretation was from my translation from Chinese), the only dragons other than Maestros that can fly</ref> swept across the horizon in preparation for the celebration that was about to start.

The giant lizards running back and forth on the field were the brilliant Asias.<ref>Literally land/earth dragon, it's pronounced as "Aahsia" instead of the way we pronounce the name of that particular continent</ref>

"It is about to start."

The field of such a size was shrouded in a mysterious and unusual atmosphere. Ash started to get nervous.

"Yo, Ash! Time to get up!"

At that moment, Ash heard his friend's voice accompanied by the sound of door knocking.

"Raymond? Give me a moment!"

Ash frantically took out the bandage from the first-aid box.

He wrapped the bandage around his left hand to cover up the «Seikoku»<ref>"星刻", literally star-marked/carved</ref> on his arm.

The pattern on his arm was the proof of a Breeder.

At the age of seven, Ash took part in the «Orphan Ceremony» held in Albion Forest and had a dragon larva put into his body.

Unfortunately, Ash's memories of that time were foggy with a lot of parts missing.

Since he obtained the «Seikoku», by logic he should have seen Mother Dragon within the deep parts of the forest. However, Ash did not even have the slightest impression of having any memories of that scene.

''I really messed up'', Ash thought in self-mockery.

Compared to other students, the «Seikoku» pattern on Ash's arm was especially large. 

Similar to a tattoo of a unique design, it extended from his elbow to his wrist like a jet-black snake.

"......Sorry to keep you waiting."

Finished with wrapping up, Ash opened the door to his room.

His good friend, Raymond Kirkland, was standing at the door with a hearty smile.

"The bandage again? Why don't you try something new?"

"Hmph, a normal person like you won't understand my feelings at all."

Ash was displeased. Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

"Sorry, it's my fault...... Hnn? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"

"No. Actually,......I had weird dreams for the past week."

"Weird dreams? What kind of weird dreams?"

"A beautiful girl crawled into my bed, then......she did a lot of things......"

It was really embarrassing to speak about this sort of things. Ash blushed while recounting what happened.

Raymond could not resist laughing.

"Are you ''that'' desperate for a girl? That is too exaggerated!"

"Are ''you'' any better? We are in the same situation!"

"Nonono, I am different from you. It's not that I'm not popular with the ladies; it's just that I have not yet found someone suited for me."

Raymond took out a small mirror and started admiring himself.

Almost all the students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy knew that Raymond had severe narcissism. To be fair, everyone acknowledged that Raymond was a handsome young man. However, people did not dare to get close to him due to that personality of his that destroyed the great impression he gave due to his looks. It was like ruining your own image the moment you speak.<ref>This is a more literal translation of the expression used</ref>

"......What are you visiting me for so early in the morning?"

Ash said unhappily. Raymond walked into the room as if that did not concern him.

"Did you forget? The competition that we were looking forward to for so long starts today. Speaking of the competition, you must not forget about flirting with girls!"

"What has flirting got to do with the competition? You should also get out there and enter the competition!"

The righteous Ash raised his volume, but Raymond had an evil smile.

"If I didn't remember wrongly, you should be the first Advanced Course student since the founding of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy to still have a larva in his body?"

"Uuu......"

Even if he did not wish for it to be so, Ash could not deny that fact. That's right, Ash's dragon companion was still sleeping in his body without any single sign of waking up.

There was not a single change since that year when he was chosen to be a Breeder at the age of seven.

To the students of Ansarivan, to rouse the dragons in their bodies from slumber was the most basic mission.

Other students had obtained their pals in the first year of basic lessons. All except Ash.

—Pal.

This was a very sacred word, representing "the dragon nurtured by the Breeder himself". A larva still sleeping within the Breeder's body cannot be addressed as a pal.

"Ash, to participate in today's competition, you seem to need something."

"Yeah, I need a dragon."

"That's right. So, do you want to borrow my pal?"

Raymond's pal was called Brigid.

Borrowing Brigid was, of course, one of the options Ash was considering. Actually, Ash already knew that Raymond was planning to skip the competition this time.

However, just accepting Raymond's suggestion like that really hurt Ash's dignity so Ash decided to refuse tactfully.

"I can also borrow Arianrhod<ref>A goddess from Celtic mythology, "arian" meaning silver and "rhod" meaning wheel, many names used in the series are related to Arthurian legends or myths of the same culture</ref> from Max. He's a member of the Student Council and thus cannot take part in the competition."

Student Council members made up the executive committee of the competition and were unable to participate. Max also clearly stated his intention of not participating in the competition.

"You're too naive, Ash. Do you think that Max will lend you his pal?"

"What is it about me?"

"Uohh!"

Raymond jumped in surprise. Turning around, Max was there leaning on the side of the door in perfectly good condition.

"Good morning, Max."

Ignoring Ash's greeting, Max silently adjusted the position of his glasses with his hand.

Maximillian Russell: Ash's classmate, honour student bestowed the title of Dragner by the Paladin, and also the Student Council's treasurer.

"You two being so noisy early in the morning, what happened?"

"Ash was crying and begging me to lend him Brigid to participate in the competition."

"Who's crying and begging you?! Max, can you lend me your Arianrhod? It's just for today."

Yes, for a particular reason, Ash had to participate in today's competition no matter what.

"You want to borrow my pal? In your next life."<ref>Chinese expression meaning that it is impossible to do or achieve it.</ref>

"There's no need to be so ruthless, right?"

"Let's not discuss this matter right now......"

Max sized up Ash with his sharp eyes.

"You should see for yourself the state this room is in! Didn't I remind you again and again that you must keep your own room clean?"

The overbearing Max walked into the room with big strides and immediately started cleaning. Ever since moving into the Apollo House, there has never been a day when Ash's room was clean and neat.

"This scene sure brings back memories."

Gazing at Max working hard at cleaning, Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

—Ash, Raymond, Max.

When they were still Basic Course students, they had gone through sentimental times together at Merk<ref>Couldn't really find a name with a mythological reference, so I chose one that had Scottish links, do tell me if you found the right name that sounds the same</ref> House. At that time, having a room to yourself was still a faraway dream and the three of them had to squeeze into a small room. Ash and Raymond had a hard time dealing with Max, who was a neat freak almost to the point of it being an illness.

"......I have always wondered."

Done with cleaning, Max turned around and looked at Ash.

"Why can you ride other people's pals?"

"Well......how should I say this......"

"By logic, dragons only allow their own masters to ride them. There have been many Breeders in the past who have tried riding other people's dragons but they all failed."

"That is indeed true, but I have obtained consent from the teacher, so it should be all right?"

"Why are you still so indecisive when doing things, just like in the past? Sigh, if you really intend to participate in the competition, just borrow Brigid. I'll inform the Student Council president."

Ending with that authoritative tone, Max left without turning back.

"I wonder who's the one that hasn't changed at all."

Raymond shook his head with a bitter smile once again.

Ash suddenly drew close to Raymond.

"You will lend me Brigid, right?"

Raymond nodded his head, his eyes having a peculiar glow.

"Of course, you must make that princess change her impression of you!"

Hearing that, Ash's expression instantly became serious.

"I have that intention, too."

=== Part 3 ===

The grand fireworks were dazzling.

There was a tense atmosphere in the academy, accompanied by excitement in the air.

The "race" Raymond spoke of was one of the names it was commonly known by. The official name was "Aries Dragon Riding Festival". An annual grand event held in the month of Aries (fourth month).<ref>The names of months in the story are taken from the names of the horoscopes in order.</ref>

It was also a springtime activity held by Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Ash, having changed to a Dragsuit,<ref>Term for the clothes worn when riding a dragon</ref> arrived at the academy's sports field.

It was a cloudless sunny day, weather suitable for a race.

Many students on dragons had already gathered on the sports field.

By a rough estimate, there should be around fifty plus people.

Ash was riding on Brigid, which he borrowed from Raymond, using the reins in his hands to guide Brigid towards the middle of the field.

"You're in a good mood today, Brigid."

Brigid replied Ash's greeting with a low cry like a spoiled child.

Brigid was an Asia fancied by Ash. Having four greatly developed legs and no wings, Brigid did not look like a dragon but more like the large types of lizards.

Cheers suddenly arose from the students on the field.

"A good morning to all students."

The radiant Student Council president appeared at the centre of the temporarily constructed stage.

The Student Council president did not have a loud voice, but her words were full of confidence and had a penetrating power.

Fiery red hair, elongated eyes, her beautiful body emitted the cold radiance of a marble statue and terrifying killing intent. Even the petals dancing in the wind paled in comparison.

Rebecca Randall.

The «Scarlet Empress».

Her red hair, bold personality and unparalleled strength were her attractive points as the school idol of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Even the academy's combat skills instructors could not beat Rebecca on her Maestro Cú Chulainn.<ref>An Irish mythological hero. Do google it if you are interested.</ref> When talking about the strongest student of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, 99 percent of the students would immediately think of Rebecca.

"The weather is great today— sorry, I don't want to talk about such nonsense."

The students on the field lowered their heads snickering. "The weather is great today" was the principal's pet phrase, but the festival was an event held by the Student Council, thus the principal did not have to go on stage to deliver a speech.

"Students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, not only is the Aries Dragon Riding Festival a sports competition, it is also Ansarivan's fine tradition with the results of the race included in the official records. Since you all have decided to participate in the race, then you should aim to stand on the victory podium.<ref>The place medalists in sports competitions stand on when they received their medals.</ref> However, I'm aware that fine tradition and official records are not enough as reasons to motivate you to achieve victory."

The students started snickering again, but the snickering stopped quickly.

"So I decided to award the winner a day-long date ticket as a prize. As for the person you are dating, that will be me, Rebecca Randall."

The moment Rebecca finished speaking, cheers immediately arose from the students.

"Silence!"

Rebecca roared. Instantly, the students were quiet like before.

"Next would be a speech by the representative of the participants. Advanced Course first-year, Princess Silvia Lautreamont."

At Rebecca's signal, a female student's figure appeared at the other side of the stage.

Ash subconsciously clenched his fists.

"The princess is actually the representative of the participants......!"

Silvia's dazzling golden hair was tied up at the back of her head. Wearing a Dragsuit with the royal coat of arms sewn on it, she leapt off her pal— Maestro Lancelot<ref>One of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend</ref> and slowly walked up the stage.

The Lautreamont Knights royal family's fourth princess Silvia.

The «Ice Blue Princess».

She was the daughter of the ruler of Lautreamont Knight Country, who holds the title of Paladin.

Ash, whose pal still had not been born after such a long time, had always borrowed the pals of other students during practical examinations.

Otherwise, he would have been retained for the year.

To other students, riding other people's pals was suicide; but to Ash, not only was it not dangerous, it was something natural to him.

No matter how short-tempered the dragon was, it would obediently allow Ash to ride on its back. Whether was it a Strada, Asia or Hydra,<ref>Literally water dragon</ref> he could control it with ease.

Unknowingly, the "Genius Dragon Tamer" Ash's reputation increased, becoming a famous figure of the academy.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 027.jpg|thumb]]

That accident happened a few days ago.

Ash borrowed Raymond's pal Brigid to participate in dragonback combat training. Being skilled in combat, Ash defeated his classmates one by one in a short time.

It would be a lie to say that he did not feel proud of that.

Concentrated on combat training, Ash did not notice Lancelot walking behind him at that moment.

Not only was physical contact between dragons very dangerous, it was also a situation the academy did its best to avoid.

Everytime before class, the instructor would always patiently remind them.

Fortunately, Brigid's butt only gently bumped into Lancelot's left leg. Both dragon and rider did not suffer any injuries. However, Ash's presumptuous actions infuriated Silvia.

"What do you take combat training for? If you come to the lesson thinking that it is just a game, you will get into trouble sooner or later!"

Other than her special status, Silvia's strict and hardline way of dealing with things was one of the reasons for her being one of the academy's famous people.

Her serious attitude in class and her feat of letting Lancelot grow into a Maestro in only a short time undoubtedly gained her the admiration of many. Her unreasonable demeanour, on the other hand, was widely criticised.

Everyone acknowledged that Silvia was a born beauty but not even one student was willing to be friends with her.

"Urk......sorry, it is my fault."

Ash jumped down from Brigid's back and bowed his head respectfully, apologising.

If this was the usual Silvia, she would have calmed down. Facing an opponent who had admitted his mistakes, Silvia had always been forgiving. It was said to be one of the knight family's precepts.<ref>Basically a set of principles that family members have to abide by. You usually see this in families with prestigious backgrounds</ref>

However, it was not the same this time.

Silvia, still angry, examined Ash from head to toe, not intending to let him off yet.

"You should think with that pea-sized brain of yours! Who exactly is paying the fees for your schooling, uniform, food, accommodation and teaching materials?"

"......Are you talking about the palace?"

"Of course not. Though the one paying is the palace, but the money used comes from the people's taxes. If you continue to have that mindset that this is just a game, then you should just quit school as soon as possible so that you would not continue wasting the hard-earned money of the people!"

"What? Quit school? Are you serious?"

"There is no free lunch in this world. That is one of the Lautreamont family's precepts!"

There was contempt in her ice blue coloured eyes. At that moment, Ash realised why Silvia was called the «Ice Blue Princess». There had been almost no points of intersection between Ash's and Silvia's paths during the phase of Basic Course. This was the first contact between the both of them.

Even if she was a princess, Ash's pride did not permit him to give in.

"The Lautreamont family's precepts are none of my business! I have already apologised. What else do you want me to do?"

"This is not a problem that can be solved by just an apology! You still do not have your own pal, right?"

"Uu......"

A sensitive issue of his having been mentioned, Ash was rendered speechless. It seems Silvia also knew some things about Ash.

"Hmph, like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!"

Hearing that, rage burned in Ash's heart.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let it be, Ash. She is the princess, you cannot win against her."

Behind him, Raymond tried to stop him but Ash ignored him.

This was not the first time that he suffered such humiliation. It was no wonder that Ash was the target of humiliation from everyone since he still did not have his pal.

If the insults were directed toward him, Ash could still bear with it.

However, if it was an insult directed towards his pal, he would not let that go easily.

Ash would fight back with all his strength till the other party apologises.

Similar situations having occurred several times, Ash, who should have been the victim, slowly became the problem child in everyone's eyes.

Talking about the most troublesome person in the academy, ninety-nine percent of the students would think of Advanced Course first-year Ash Blake.

"Take back what you said immediately."

Even if she was the princess of the kingdom, she should not humiliate others as she pleases.

So, Ash took a step forward, having no intention to hide his anger.

The lesson was interrupted. Everyone's attention was on Ash's confrontation with the princess.

=== Part 4 ===
Silvia, who had ascended the makeshift stage, observed the students whom had assembled in the sports field. 

Finally, her blue pupils stopped abruptly at one place. 

“………” 

It was evident where Silvia was looking. She was, obviously, staring at Ash. 

That day, Silvia had not withdrawn her words. If the other party had been a boy, at that time Ash would’ve clouted him. However, as expected, even if he wanted to, Ash couldn’t hit a girl. Moreover, she was a princess in the palace circle. 

Instead, he had, reluctantly, proposed an condition. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> If I am victorious in the race in a few days, you will take back the words you said a while ago! 

Silvia, nonchalantly, had commented: “That would be fine” and agreed. 

That was the answer that Ash wanted. 

Silvia, once she stopped staring at Ash, opened her mouth. 

An icy voice shook the atmosphere, reminding everyone of the winter that had just passed. 

“You must try your best in any competition. That is my family’s motto <nowiki>------</nowiki> no less” 

Silvia then descended quickly from the stage and, riding smartly on Lancelot, returned to the sports field. 

After a few seconds of silence, only a sparse amount of applause arose from the sports field as everyone was taken aback by Silvia’s haughty attitude. 

“What?” 

“It is obvious that Lancelot is the outstanding one, not his owner.” 

“What is so great about his master?” 

“Wasn't the first paladin originally a knight of the Chevron Kingdom. In other words, only just a fortunate soldier, nothing more. Definitely not royal.” 

“As expected of that brother’s sister”<ref>Chinese phrase that basically refers to the fact that brothers and sisters are the same ... something along the lines of that</ref> 

Ash nonchalantly glanced at a few same grade female students, who were murmuring quietly behind him. 

At first, Ash had taken no notice of their conversation, however: 

“That brother’s sister.” 

That part of sentence caught his attention. 

The ‘brother’ that the female students had said, obviously referred to Prince Julius. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Dragon Slayer Julius. 

Although he was the eldest son of the Knight family, he violated the biggest taboo. 

No one knew why he would slay his dragon, as he was publicly executed for breaching the taboo before he could disclose his motive. 

To bring his name up at this occasion, really wasn’t thoughtful. 

Even if he had shamed the Royal Knight Family, that was ten years ago. There really wasn’t any good in bringing up these old matters. 

“…… She really doesn’t have an easy life.” 

Ash, suddenly, began to sympathize a little for Silvia’s plight. 

=== Part 5 ===
The competition was about to start. 

The row order of the contestants had been sequenced according to the results of the mock competitions that had occurred during training class. 

Usually, the fastest riders were placed at the front. 

However, this year’s dragon riding competition was different. 

The players who were placed at the front, were the worst scoring students of the mock competitions. 

Apparently, it was Rebecca’s suggestion; her reason being that the competition would be more exciting. 

As a result, based on the new rules, Silvia, who had scored top in the mock competitions, had no choice but to be placed in the last row. 

Aside from Silvia, Ash was also in the last row. 

Although the student council had made an exception to the rule to allow him to use another student’s pal to participate in the competition, just to be fair, his starting position had been purposely positioned in the last row. 

Without doubt, this type of order doubled as a safeguard against a sudden surge of contestants once the race had started. 

Nevertheless, despite these new rules, this situation could be said to be favorable to him. <ref>Chinese phrase. Basically the equivalent of "play into the hands of (Ash)" </ref> 

To be allowed to participate in the competition, was already a one in ten thousand chance <ref>In other words, very lucky</ref>. Furthermore, to be placed beside Silvia, was the perfect opportunity to execute their showdown. 

With every minute and second that passed, he gradually became more and more focused <ref>Chinese phrase that literally translates into "retracted his state of mind"</ref>. 

Silvia didn't talk to him. 

Likewise, he felt that there wasn’t a need to converse with her. 

Finally, the preparations before the race were finished. 

The cheers coming from the audience around the sports field’s boarder had reached a climax. 

All around, a unique sense of tension filled the atmosphere. 

Ash clearly felt his own heartbeat gradually quickening. During the mock competitions, he had never felt so nervous. 

“On your marks!” 

Rebecca’s voice emanated from mid-air. 

Clad in a uniform, she was riding on her pal’s back. Essentially, this was breaching the school rules, however, as today was the annual Dragon Riding Festival, no one had raised that issue. 

Arms akimbo, she now stood majestically on top of Cú Chulainn’s head. Her high-spirited heroic bearing immediately attracted everyone’s attention. 

This was her riding position. 

As Cú Chulainn’s body was too big to find a suitable saddle, and also, because she had publicly expressed that she did not want to restrain her beloved pal with a rein and saddle, this evolved into her current unique riding position. 

A suffocating silence enveloped the audience, as she lifted a magic carbine <ref>A carbine is a gun used by horsemen, do Google it!</ref>. 

Only the sound of one’s own heartbeat and the deep breathing of the dragons could be heard. 

“Get set ------” 

The carbine’s muzzle was aimed at the sky. 

Then, when the flash of an Oracle illuminated the horizon, the gun let out an enormous bang. 

Around fifty dragons, at the same time, started to run, leaving behind a cloud of dust. 

The Stradas, whose tails a smoke bomb had been tied to, formed into a column and, at the same time, flapped their wings and flew. While that was happening, the smoke from the smoke bombs formed a seven-coloured rainbow in the sky. 

=== Part 6 ===
Brigid did not betray Ash’s expectations. After his flawless start, he ran flat out, hot on Lancelot’s tail. As they moved around the academy’s sports field, the competitors maintained a distance between each other. 

Then, in the midst of loud cheering, they passed through the school gate that led to the city district. 

“Full speed ahead!” 

At Ash’s urging, Brigid let out a roar. 

Ash intended to, with all his strength, rush through the avenue leading St. Durham Square. 

Maestro Lancelot, possessed an astonishing speed. Within a blink of an eye, he had already overtaken many competitors. 

Brigid tailed closely behind Lancelot’s body, where the effect of air friction was the least, ascending the ranks with him. However, when Lancelot was about to enter a narrow city road, which was connected to St. Durham Square, he suddenly slowed down. 

“……… That’s odd.” 

Ash, who had been following Brigid, raised his head and looked ahead. 

“Them ………!” 

Four competitors, side by side in a row, had obstructed the way ahead. Upon closer inspection, Ash immediately realised that they were the same four female students who had slandered Silvia before the competition. 

Ahead, the narrow city road meandered endlessly, plagued with numerous challenging turns. It seems that until I have exited the city district, I will have to be patient, Ash thought to himself. 

All of a sudden, he grasped their intentions. 

“Those people ………” 

They were probably here to target Silvia. 

Whenever other competitors approached from behind, they would, at once, automatically create a small gap to allow them to pass. 

Bit by bit, Silvia’s ranking was deteriorating. Soon, she, along with Ash, would be last. 

Ash was at a loss. 

Overtaking Silvia wouldn’t be hard. The female students obstructing the way ahead should let him pass. After all, he was a bystander to them, so there wasn’t a need to make things hard for him. 

“You people really have taken things too far!” 

Infuriated, Ash couldn’t help but shout at them. 

“Do you really not care?” 

He exclaimed, in a loud voice, as he spurred Brigid to Lancelot’s side. 

Due to the difference in height between the Maestro and Asia, Ash had to look up at Silvia. 

In contrast, Silvia glanced down at Ash, her face etched with contempt. 

“……… There is nothing that can be done about this, whether it is blocking our way or working together, it doesn’t violate the rules of this race.” 

“Now is the time to act noble! Could it be that you aren’t angry at all?” 

“I don’t want to talk to enemies! Go away, it’s none of your business!” 

“You excessively prideful person, no wonder you can’t make any friends!” 

“Y-You, what did you say!” 

Ignoring Silvia’s protests, Ash spurred Brigid ahead, quickly leaving Lancelot behind and approaching the four female students, whom were blocking the way ahead. 

As expected, as soon as one of the four girls noticed him, she promptly shifted over, creating a gap on her right. 

Ash, without looking at any of them, spurred Brigid straight towards the gap that she had created. 

They probably had thought that he was just going to pass through. 

“Fu ……… you are wrong!” 

With a flick of the reins in his hand, Brigid’s enormous body immediately moved to squash the female students beside him. 

They were now extremely close together, almost reaching the point of breaking the competition’s rules. 

“Hey, what are you trying to do?” 

One of the girls paled <ref>Chinese phrase 花容失色. 花容 - Literally means flower colour / radiance [And it referrers to a beautiful girl] and 失色 - means to lose colour</ref>, due to fright. 

Due to turmoil caused by Ash, the four riders who had been in an orderly row, were now shortening the distance between themselves. Soon they would collide into each other. 

There was only one option to prevent this; to relinquish their positions. However, if they did so, they would destroy their row formation. 

Without doubt, this was the goal Ash had aimed to achieve, and, after achieving the upper hand, he didn’t overlook the chance to gibe at them: 

“I’m very sorry for the trouble I have caused. This dragon was borrowed from someone and it seems to be a little disobedient!” 

The expression of one of the girls, suddenly changed. 

“You are Ash Blake!” 

Whether it was luck or not, Ash’s name seemed to have an profound effect on them. 

“It’s the Number One Problem Child in the academy!” 

“Uhh! Stay away from me!” 

“Kyaaa!” 

The four female students promptly broke formation and, after a brief period of turmoil, they all fell hopelessly at the side of the road. 

Their high-pitched shrieks, along with the roars of the dragons, reverberated endlessly in the narrow city road. 

Silvia, who had been behind, deftly dodged the female students and dragons, and quickly picked up speed. 

“W-Who told you to meddle in other people’s business!” 

In spite of her brusque tone, her cheeks, however, turned slightly red. 

=== Part 7 ===
After leaving the city district, he journeyed north on the main road, arriving at Fianna Forest. 

The forest was also a part of the competition’s course. The skills required here now, were vastly different from the ones needed to navigate through the city roads. 

After just entering the forest, a strange thing happened. 

“……… Brigid?” 

Brigid, who had been tailing Lancelot the whole journey, suddenly slowed down. 

Silvia, obviously, took advantage of this opportunity. In a nick of time, she had disappeared. 

“What’s wrong ………?” 

Brigid, finally, stopped walking. 

He was breathing heavily and his expression was one of great pain. 

Ash, now, had finally realised the mistake he had made. 

“I was too careless.” 

While Ash had been preoccupied with following Silvia, he hadn’t noticed that Brigid had run out of stamina. 

From the start, Brigid had always maintained the same speed as Lancelot, in spite of the difference of stamina between a Maestro and an Asia. Generally, in order to successfully finish the competition, the pace to complete it at, should have been determined from the stamina of the dragon. 

“………Sorry, Brigid.” 

After he had apologised, Brigid let out a soft snort, as if he was ashamed of his physical strength. 

Now, groups of competitors, bit by bit, had caught up. One by one, they raced past Ash’s side. 

The sound of thunderous rumbling shook the earth, as the air filled with dust. 

The sight of a group of Asias running in the forest was spectacular to behold. Ash could sense the ground incessantly rocking. For a very long time, it didn’t subside. 

Ash’s competition, at his point of time, had concluded. 

Between him and Silvia, a winner had been determined. His goal to force Silvia to take back her words, in the end, wasn’t achieved. 

If this was described as unfortunate, it would be a lie. Ash had really wanted to complete the competition. For the entire time, he had made a bee line for the finish line. 

However, oddly enough, Ash’s mood was rather carefree. 

“It turns out that competing with the princess is quite interesting.” 

No matter how reluctant, he couldn’t deny this fact. 

Then, at this moment<nowiki>------</nowiki> 

A rustling noise, without warning, came from behind. 

“<nowiki>------</nowiki>!” 

Ash instinctively looked back, staring at the forest behind him. 

“………Who is it?” 

For safety reasons, Ansarivan’s security guards would, during the race, patrol the forest. 

In the forest, to sense another person’s presence, wasn’t something to make a big fuss out of. 

However, whoever it was, hadn’t replied. If it was really a security guard, he should have already appeared directly before Ash, who had been eliminated. 

Ash heightened his awareness and cautiously surveyed the surroundings. 

Although he hadn’t discovered any suspicious figures, he felt as though someone was watching him.
He could feel a sense of foreboding growing within himself. 

“Wait for me here.” 

After leaving Brigid there, Ash walked into the depths of the forest. 

=== Part 8 ===
Fianna Forest, bordered on the west by Rubina Lake, was located northwest of the city Ansarivan. It’s one of the largest forests within the borders of Lautreamont Knight Country. 

As Ash ran in the forest, so as to not trip over the tree roots that crawled over the earth like a web of intricate blood vessels, he constantly looked down at his feet. 

Then, once again, he sensed the presence of someone else. 

“Found you!” 

Trusting his own intuition, Ash threw a stone at the bushes in front of him. 

The bushes rocked left and right, making a rustling sound. 

“Your intuition is quite keen. It really is one of your talents” 

Stated a voice that possessed both the vitality of youth and the staid of seniority. 

“You are ………?” 

From the bushes, a tall thin man emerged. In his left hand, he held the very stone that Ash had just thrown. 

Though he was dressed in a traveller’s garb, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, Ash was shocked into silence. 

This was because that man was wearing a silver coloured mask on his face, which covered everything except for his nose and mouth. 

In addition to this, his gleaming sliver hair was streaked through with strands of crimson hair, which brought to mind an image of silver silk slowly shedding blood, as well as the blood used to write cursed scripts. 

In his right hand, he held a black object that emitted light. 

“A mechanical weapon from ……… the Empire<ref>Although the sources don't say so, this 'empire' refers to the Zepharos Empire</ref>?” 

Ash, dumbfounded, stood on the spot, unable to move. 

It’s not like he didn’t know about it. 

On the other side of the steep mountain range, lacking the blessing of dragons, the Empire, nevertheless, had a highly developed civilisation based on machinery. 

The weapon that the masked man held in his hand probably was the product of mechanical engineering. If he remembered correctly, it was a ‘short machine gun’, a gun that combined the portability of a pistol and the rapid fire of a machine gun. Ash didn’t dare to act rashly. He knew that man could easily, at a moment’s notice, riddle him with so many bullet holes that he would look like a honeycomb. 

Perhaps it was because he had perceived Ash’s wariness, the corners of the man’s mouth twitched faintly upwards. 

“Young man, you are very bright.” 

“You are ……… a soldier of the Empire?” 

“Do I look like one?” 

Ash didn’t know what to decide. 

That object in the man’s hand was a weapon manufactured by the Empire. 

However, that man didn’t have an Empire accent. Instead, he had a strong Chevron Kingdom accent. Aside from that, the way he spoke was highly refined. To be more precise, he was speaking so-called ‘King’s Chevrish’. 

Ash realised that he was in a precarious situation. 

If the masked man was from the Empire, why would he be lurking around the outskirts of Ansarivan for? 

Maybe, he was an Empire spy. 

The Chevron Kingdom and the Zepharos Empire, the two great powers of this continent, had been in a Cold War which had, already, lasted five decades. 

Sandwiched between those two countries, was the Lautreamont Knight Country, the Chevron Kingdom’s child country. 

Initially, the Knight Country was part of the Kingdom<ref>Kingdom here refers to the Chevron Kingdom</ref>, therefore, the relationship between these two countries would, naturally, be much closer than any of their allies. 

Currently, should armed personal from the Empire appear within boarders of Knight Country, this country could, and would, interpret this as a military operation of the Empire. 

However, Ash’s strength was finite. He was definitely incapable of opposing the man before his eyes. 

“Young man, how old are you?” 

The masked man’s unexpected question distracted him for a moment. 

“……… Sixteen. Is there something wrong with that?” 

“That’s strange. Why do you still have larva within you?” 

Ash, astounded, subconsciously retreated a few steps. 

“H-How do you know?” 

“The curse on your body allowed me to clearly perceive that.” 

“Curse ………?” 

Ash frowned. He never would never have expected to hear, from the mouth of a person from the Empire, words so unscientific. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to ask what those words truly meant. 

“Get away from Milgauss-sama” 

A tender, yet commanding voice resonated in his ears. 

Reflexively, he looked back and saw a petite figure moving towards him. Then, immediately after pulling an object from its left bracer, the shrill sound of air being sliced sounded by his ear. 

“Argh!” 

Moving his body quickly, Ash awkwardly dodged the surprise attack. A pitch-black serpent passed through the space where his head had been. Actually, upon closer inspection, the pitch-black snake was actually a long whip, the preferred weapon of the Tantalos Tribe. 

Those who master this weapon are said to have an unpredictable attack. Even soldiers armed with swords, guns, or cannons aren’t a match. 

Ash dived onto the ground and began to roll, attempting to distance himself. 

Although his attacker was also wearing a mask, from their exposed eyes, he determined that it was most likely a young teenage girl. 

Her beautiful jet-black hair was fixed at the back of her head and, despite her petite stature, her eyes were filled with murderous intent. 

Ash, improvising on the spot, got up from the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt, threw it at the girl, turned and ran. 

“Argh ………!” 

The girl flinched and, for a brief moment, shielded her eyes. Then she began to pursue Ash. 

Ash, sprinting, plunged into a nearby thicket. 

“Damn ……… why am I so unfortunate!” 

Upon rushing out of the forest, his field of vision immediately widened. 

Above him, a dazzling blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, forcing him to narrow his eyes. 

Barren rocks, big and small, littered the ground. 

Ash swallowed. This situation wasn’t good. Ahead of him there was a ravine. Its edge was around ten steps away. Ash looked around but couldn’t find a bridge. 

“Obediently accept your fate!” 

The girl appeared from within the forest. 

Ash, with his back to the cliff, confronted her. 

“When did I ever wrong you?” 

“Meeting us. This was your greatest misfortune.” 

The girls tone was flat, lacking any rise or drop in pitch, making her sound emotionless. 

“That’s absurd!” 

“War needs no reason.” 

“Isn’t there an armistice?” 

“Armistice? That nothing more than something we pretend to adhere to. In reality the war between the Empire and the Kingdom hasn’t ended!” 

The girl kicked the ground, and, brandishing the whip in her hand, slowly forced Ash towards the edge of ravine behind him. 

Though Ash scored quite well in the class of fighting techniques, this girl’s movements were too fast. He could only, step by step, retreat backwards. 

In a few more steps, he would fall into the ravine. 

“Hmph ……… I wonder how long you can continue to struggle for!” 

She sounded irritated. In fact, she was most likely an impetuous person. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Now! 

Ash grabbed the end of the whip, which had missed him, and then, with a great pull, broke her balance. 

“Uooo!” 

He grabbed her by her collar and, using her own momentum<ref>Do google Aikido !!!</ref>, hurled her away. Her body traced a parabola in the air. Ash was surprised, as he hadn’t expected her body to be so light. 

“Kawaa!” 

Falling heavily, the girl gave a painful cry and her right hand involuntarily released the whip. 

“Uguu ………” 

Still conscious, tears of misery appeared in her eyes. Aside from that, she was constantly squirming, as if in great pain. She probably wouldn’t be able to stand for a quite a while. 

Steading his breathing, Ash slowly extended his right hand towards the mask on her face. He wanted to see what she looked like. Then, just at this moment. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki> Bishi! 

A peculiar noise, similar to that of an object fracturing, could be heard. 

“Eh ………?” 

Ash could hardly believe his eyes. 

The outcrop <ref>Exposed bedrock</ref> supporting their weight, unexpectedly, had begun to collapse. 

This was most likely due to a geological fault in the rock. This fight should never have been performed in this kind of location. Then he noticed it, a warning sign labelled “Beware of Collapse”. 

“Ku ………!” 

Ash had no time to ponder. He lifted the girl and threw her forwards. 

She landed safely on a stable piece of outcrop. 

However, in doing so, he didn’t have enough time to escape. Instead, he fell along with the rocky debris into the ravine. 

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

The immense drag of the wind almost tore his skin. 

Ash was scared of falling into a bottomless ravine. Then, at this moment, he felt his left wrist heat up. 

“Eh ………?” 

A flash of light burst through his clothing. The «Seikoku», which extended from his elbow to his wrist, suddenly began to emit heat and scarlet light. 

The shrill sound of the wind was silenced. 

In fact, all sound was silenced. 

“Ugh ………!” 

Ash felt an excruciating pain within his chest, as if it was being torn in half, as though something was trying to break out of his body. 

The pain almost caused him to lose consciousness. 

While bearing the pain, he looked down at his chest and found that it was exuding a dazzling radiance. 

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

Ash gave a great scream as his consciousness gradually began to fade. 

However, within his hazy vision, he saw something clearly. 

A girl was floating in mid-air. 

Completely naked. 

With her eyes tightly closed and her arms open, she floated next to him. 

Subconsciously, Ash reached out with both his hands towards her petite body. 

She slid with no resistance into his arms. 

Around them, a blinding light had, unbeknownst to them, enveloped their bodies. 

Not only that, but their descent had slowed down. 

Hugging the girl, Ash slowly floated down, like one would within a child’s fairy tale. 

Before long, they landed on a rock beside a creek. 

The ball of light, which had protected them, instantly turned into countless particles and disappeared without a trace. 

“Am I safe now ………?” 

Ash mumbled to himself, as he looked down at the girl in his arms. 

The breathing of the girl, whose eyes were still closed, sounded rather peaceful. 

“Uwaa!” 

Ash felt a little ardent as he realised that the girl was naked. 

Her dainty figure, along with her slightly bulging chest, and her smooth and delicate white skin was definitely something that was hardly ever seen within this world. In fact, it gave rise to the illusion of an angel descending into the world of mortals. 

Her age was probably around fourteen or fifteen. 

Gently laying her on the ground, Ash swiftly took off the coat of his Dragsuit.[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 055.jpg|thumb]] 

Just this coat, he was able to sufficiently cover her petite body. 

“Fuu ………” 

With this done, Ash feeling relieved, sat on the ground. 

Yet again, he looked at the face of the girl. 

“Could she be ……… Navi?” 

Within his mind, an image of the girl who had, since the start of this week, been teasing him within his dreams, surfaced. 

“No, you are similar for sure ……… but still a little different.” 

To draw an analogy, Navi would be a succubus from a Gothic novel, possessing a face that retained the innocence of childhood and also the charm of a mature woman. 

On the other hand, the girl before his eyes was just a girl. Ash couldn’t feel any mature charm from her. 

“……… eh?” 

Ash frowned. Something small, circular and ivory coloured, protruded from top left and right of sides her head. 

“What is this?” 

With his fingertips, Ash gently probed the mysterious protrusions. 

It was soft and a little flexible and seemed to be made of some kind of cartilage. 

The mysterious protrusions had a peculiar feel to it, making him want to touch it again after touching it. However, Ash resisted the urges to touch it again, as it would be impolite. 

Looks like those mysterious protrusions weren’t accessories but part of her body. 

“Could it be ……… horns?” 

The little protrusions on top of her head, indeed, seemed to be identical to the horns of a young dragon. 

Ash couldn’t help but recall the details of the events, that had happen prior to now, in his mind. 

The girl had emerged out of his body and she had two horns growing from top left and right sides of her head. 

As a result, there could only be one conclusion. 

“……… is this young girl my pal?” 

Ash was dumbfounded. 

He had always wished to rouse his pal from sleep, however, why was his pal a girl when everyone else’s were dragons? 

“Uuu ………nnn ………” 

The girl’s long eyelashes quivered a little. 

“Huwaaa ………” 

The girl, in contrast to her beautiful appearance, gave a great yawn. 

One of her double eyelids slowly began to open. 

Ash, subconsciously, leaned forwards and looked at her face. 

Her ruby coloured pupils were very fascinating. 

Bleary eyed, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and her facial expression became one of shock. 

“Hugiyaaaaaaaa!” 

“Oooof!” 

Ash, receiving a slap on his cheek, fell backwards and his head became immersed in the creek. 

Fortunately, the stream wasn’t deep, so aside from his sorry figure, he wasn’t hurt. 

“S-Such great strength ………” 

With blood trickling from his nose, Ash struggled to get up. 

“To go so far as to take advantage of a sleeping lady really is too much! Don’t you know who am I?” 

Blushing hard, she suddenly stood up. 

The jacket that Ash had draped over her body, slid off. 

Her dainty naked body was clearly visible. 

However, she made no move to cover herself. 

“P-Please put on your clothes first before you talk!” 

Ash quickly looked away. 

“Clothes? Ridiculous! Clothes are just items humans create to hide their ugliness.” 

“What?” 

“That’s right, a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes!” 

“I don’t care whether you need clothes or not, just put them on!” 

After saying that, Ash turned his back on her. 

“I know that you are a dragon! Well ……… strictly speaking I’m not sure. However, even if you’re a dragon, right now, you are a girl!” 

“So what?” 

“That ……… naked girl standing in front of me ……… is making me lose my calm” 

“Hmph! Such a useless guy. Like I said, humans are really <nowiki>------</nowiki>” 

At this moment, a strong gust of wind blew through the ravine. 

Though it was now spring, it still felt chilly when a gust of wind blew on the body. 

“A ……Ahchoo!” 

Compared to her arrogant attitude just then, her sneeze was extremely cute. 

After her sneeze, an unimaginably huge gust of wind headed towards Ash. 

“Uoo!” 

Immediately, Ash clung onto the rock next to him and, like this, prevented himself from getting blown away. 

“A dragons’ sneeze turns out to be quite formidable ………” 

After calming himself down, with his back towards the girl, Ash proceeded to defend his opinion: 

“You’re right, clothes make people look better. However, apart from that, they also protect against the cold!” 

“Muuu ………” 

The girl pouted, as if she didn’t quite agree with Ash’s point. However, in the end, she accepted his opinion. 

Before long, there was a rustling sound. 

Cautiously turning his head around, Ash saw that she had obediently put on the jacket. 

As her body was very petite, just the jacket was enough to cover her important parts. However, her legs were still exposed. 

Her white tender thighs caused Ash to hold his breath. Wearing just a male jacket, her current appearance, compared when she was naked, caused one to fantasize even more. 

After directing his gaze away from her thighs, Ash sighed a few times. 

“There is something I want to confirm. You should be the dragon that was within me.” 

“Strictly speaking, I was only temporarily borrowing your body.” 

“Weren’t you within my body for too long? I’ve already become a first year Advanced Course student!” 

“What did you say?” 

The girl eyed Ash with an ominous glint in her eyes. 

Her expression, as sharp as a sword, rested on Ash’s chest. 

“N-Nothing ………” 

Ash, a little overwhelmed by the girl’s reaction, could only reply like this. 

“I am not an ordinary dragon. Do not lump me with the others.” 

“Whaa?” 

Clearly displeased, the girl planted both her hands on her hips and looked at Ash. 

“Listen carefully, I do not think that you think that you are my master at all! Who cares about the secret agreement of Albion ………” 

Ash was a little surprised when the girl mentioned that historical term. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki>The secret agreement of Albion 

Long ago, confronted with the crisis of extinction, the dragons stipulated a treaty with humans who wanted their magic. 

“……… That being said, you and I share a common destiny. Although you can't see it, we are bound together by an invisible thread.” 

What she was talking about was probably the so-called Astral Flow. 

“After combining with humans, dragons are able to get a supply of the Astral. As a result, dragons obtained the strength to survive, thus overcoming the crisis of extinction.” 

This knowledge was taught during the Basic Course. The Astral was something similar to “qi”<ref>Look it up here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi</ref> and was the source of greatly-needed strength. 

The history of the dragons was far longer than that of humans. With each new generation, the Astral contained within their bodies decreased. 

Due to the lack of the Astral, before becoming fully grown, many young dragons died prematurely. 

If young dragons were unable to mature into adult dragons, sooner or later, dragons would go down the path of extinction. 

Concerned by the current situation, the dragons decided to combine with the humans who possessed the most Astral Flow, thus avoiding extinction. 

“Quite so. However, even so, I don’t believe the dragons owe humans one. Instead, humans should feel honoured.” 

“No, shouldn’t you at least feel a little thankful?” 

Having just finished speaking, Ash’s abdomen received a blow from the girl’s elbow. 

“Gah!” 

“By the way …” 

After glancing at Ash, who was writhing in pain, the girl, thinking about something, suddenly turned away. Her vigour, that she had displayed just then, disappeared and was replaced by bashfulness and embarrassment. 

“M-My name ……” 

“Ehh?” 

Ash, puzzled, frowned. The girl turned a shade of bright red and shouted. 

“My …… name, my name! Give me a name! T-This is a, somewhat, very important thing!” 

“Do you really want me to give you a name?” 

“It can’t be helped! Although I don’t approve of the secret agreement of Albion, I too, can't break the rules! You must give me a name for the contract to be complete!” 

“Is that so? The dragons also have so many difficult rules.” 

“I-I don’t need things like your sympathy!” 

Faced with the girl's extreme attitude, Ash made a bitter smile. 

“If that’s how it’s going to go, relax. I have already thought of your name” 

Ever since he had become a Breeder, he had always remembered this name. 

“Your name is Eco” 

Compared to Lancelot and Cú Chulainn, it was a little out of fashion. However, it was a rather historical name, frequently appearing in historical or religious textbooks. 

<nowiki>------</nowiki>First year of A.S.B. <ref>(After Saint's Birth)</ref> 

For the first time in human history, a young maiden succeeded in rousing a larva from its slumber. 

Her name was Rosa Maria. 

After her death, people referred to her as a saint, as she was the primogenitor of Breeders. 

At that time, her pal’s name was Eco. 

“Eco ……” 

The girl looked distracted and her dangerous expression eased up. 

“Nnn, not bad. Eco …… congratulation for thinking up this name. Fine, for now I’ll spare you!” 

“Phew, luckily you quite like this name.” 

If the name chosen had been deemed unacceptable, perhaps he would have become a victim of violence. Coming to this conclusion, Ash could feel cold sweat starting to form. 

“Oh, by the way, although you had just awoken, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about the secret agreement of Albion and Astral Flow.” 

Although Ash didn’t say this with the intention to flatter, she, nevertheless, puffed out her chest in pride. 

“This is the greatest difference between wisdom-filled dragons and the stupid, ignorant humans.” 

“Seriously, humans aren’t that bad, are they?” 

“<nowiki>------</nowiki>Dragweiss” 

“Ehh?” 

Eco suddenly began to stare off into the distance, taking Ash by surprise. 

“In order to survive, the still slumbering larvae will automatically inherit relevant knowledge. As this inherited knowledge is beyond generations, there is no need for others to teach them.” 

“Wow, that’s amazing …… By the way, since you are a dragon, why do you take the appearance of a human?” 

“This ……” 

Eco lowered her head in thought. After a while, she could only helplessly shrug her shoulders. 

“It’s no good, the Dragweiss doesn’t contain records pertaining to this …… No, there should be related records, except they can't be accessed. Forget about it, I don’t know! Don’t ask about it anymore, or I’ll crush you!” 

“That’s no good ……? I still want to live for a few more years!” 

Thinking about Eco’s unordinary strength, Ash shuddered. 

At this moment, Ash suddenly remembered something, he still hadn’t introduced himself! 

Thus, he calmed his wild heartbeat, and extended his right hand towards Eco. Regardless, Eco would always remain his pal. 

To obtain his own pal had been his wish for many years. 

“Muu …… what are you doing?” 

“I’m called Ash, from this day on, I am your master!” 

“What?” 

Eco not only refused to accept Ash’s goodwill, but also widened her eyes and stared at Ash. 

“W-what’s the matter?” 

“You seem to have misunderstood something, I think I’d better clear it up. You are not my master.” 

Straightening her runway-like chest, Eco’s eyes began to emit a strange aura. 

“I’m the one who is your master!” 

Once again, a bone-chilling icy wind blew through the ravine. 

=== Part 9 ===
…… A few hours later. 

Sure enough, Silvia didn’t betray people’s expectations, with a manner befitting of the Jedi in ‘Return of the Jedi’, she claimed first place and<nowiki>------</nowiki> 

Security guards within the forest found Brigid, decided that the rider must have encountered a mishap, and immediately formed a rescue team, and began to search for the rider. 

The rider was called Ash Blake, a first year Advanced Course student who rode his friend’s pal to compete, the Number One Problem Child of the academy. 

The student council president, Rebecca, and many other students all joined the rescue team. 

As Fianna Forest covered an extensive plot of land, at first, they believed that the rescue operation wouldn’t succeed; however, before long, they found Ash and Eco. 

Cú Chulainn, with Rebecca riding on its head, without turning back, flew straight towards the ravine bordering the forest, as if attracted by some sort of force. 

Afterwards, Rebecca commented: 

“Today was the first time Cú Chulainn disobeyed my order.” 
 

''End of “The Awakening of Sleeping Beauty ~A.S.B.1365.4~”.''

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Prologue

2015-08-24T17:33:59Z

Platypi4E4: /* Prologue */ Proposed rework of the Prologue (see note)

==Prologue==
Lautreamont Knight Country, people called it the country of Dragon Breeders.

To its north was the Zepharos Empire, while to its south was the Chevron Kingdom.

Sandwiched between the two major powers; a small country, with a population of no more than five million, had a special academy.

Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Educating and guiding teenage boys and girls who formed contracts with dragons -- an academy for Dragon Breeders.



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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 4

2015-08-22T20:41:15Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 4 - The Battle at Willingham Mausoleum */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 4 - The Battle at Willingham Mausoleum==
===Part 1===
Sometime during midnight… Ash slowly sat up.

“It hurtssss…”

Because, of the pain in his joints, he can’t seem to get a good nights sleep. It was because he played in the water earlier during the day.

Silvia and Eco were riding on Lancelot.

Jessica was riding on Rhiannon.

Without any warning… A normal fun time on the water had turned into a two sided battle field of ‘Fighting for Ash’. If they really wanted to play something, Ash hoped that it would be a more peaceful game.

But the swimming wear that both Eco and Silvia wore was deeply engraved in Ash’s mind.

Eco was wearing a white swimming suit which brings out her cute self. Even though her body is still far from perfect… There are still guys who are sure to fall for her innocent self. Although her true ruthless attitude will be exposed as soon as she opens her mou…

On the other hand… Silvia was wearing a sexy bikini. Ash was going to have a nose bleed just by thinking about it. For sure, it was not Silvia who chose a bikini exposing so much of her skin, but Cosette who the culprit was that forced it on her.

Ash quickly removes all this troubles from his mind and left his bed.

The bedroom in the training camp is a twin sharing bedroom. Max was sleeping soundly at the bed beside. Eco was not in the room. It is because the neat freak Max said that ‘sharing a room with a girl is illogical’ so Eco was now taken care by the other girls.

Logically speaking, since it was Cosette, there should not be a reason for him to worry… But Ash had been together with Eco for a long time. If Eco is not beside him he feels uneasy… As if a part of his heart is missing.

“Can’t… I really can’t sleep.”

Ash sighed and slowly stood up. Then he left the room and wanted to ask for a cup of water in the kitchen.

Ash was walking at fast pace along the corridor of the second floor. The old building felt like a haunted house. The kitchen was located on the first floor so he was headed towards the stairs.

The moonlight shines through the windows. Tonight is a full moon with a silver light.

“…Huh?”

Ash stopped beside a window.

He felt a shadow passed by.

“That is…”

Every single corner of the garden can be seen through the corridor’s windows. A girl can be seen walking under the moonlight. She was wearing a one-piece pajama. Ash recognized her.

“Is it… Lucca?”

Under the moonlight the golden white hair emits a mysterious light. Even her white ceramic-like skin was as if shining. Her pointy ears can be seen indistinctly poking out from her hair.

Lucca walked past the garden with her unsteady steps and through the old back door. Beyond the back door is deep and endless piece of forest. - Norg Forest.

In a blink of an eye… Lucca disappears into the forest.

“Hey… What is she thinking?”

Ash rushed down the stairs to the garden through the door specially used by the instructors. He rushed at a fast speed to the back door then following the stone slabs to the edge of the forest and stops. After he was mentally prepared… He walked to the forest.

But, just as he step into the Norg Forest, he immediately took a steps back.

“…Are you kidding me?”

Ash originally thought that he was used moving in the forest, but that is only limited to day time. This is the first time he was going to enter the forest at night! Even the wet ground had a different smell. The nocturnal animals and night bugs creeps the hell out of him. The lush branches of the trees had the sky covered which blocked whatever moonlight there was from piercing through. Also. There were noises that he suspected to be the sounds of an owl.

''Could it be that Lucca is just an imagination?'' Ash secretly hoped that this is true.

“Wait a minute…”

The Eckbalds were also known as the ‘Forest Yōsei’. Actually. The self ruling territory of the Eckbalds, within the Knight Country, is a wide forest called ‘Eckbald forest’. Maybe, to Lucca, every forest is like the garden back at her home.

After Ash mustered his courage… He moved forward while trying to feel his way along with his hands. The rough tree bark made him feel at ease, but every time he touches something slimy, he will immediately retract his hand. If there is a small animal, that passed by his feet, he will immediately jump.

“This is bad for my heart…”

Ash complained while walking and unconsciously thought about Gawain. All the other dragons were together in the dragon house of the training camp and only Gawain alone was resting in Norg Forest. It is because Norg Forest is a well known resting spot for dragons.

“I see. She went to look for Gawain…”

Ash, who realized the truth, continued to walk deeper into the forest.

After a while… His field of vision widens.

In front of him is an empty space. The moonlight shines directly from the sky. There is a pond in the empty space and the water was reflecting the silvery moonlight.

Gawain cuddled onto itself while lying beside the pond.

Its shining white fur was reflecting the moonlight.

Lucca was standing some distance away from Gawain. For a breeder, the amount of distance was weird.

Ash found out that Lucca’s shoulders were shaking.

“Please, Gawain, I… Can’t live without you.”

Lucca was calling after Gawain in a pitiful tone while Ash hid behind a tree and listened.

“The only Eckbald left in Ansarivan… Is only me. The people in our home town have placed high hopes on me.”

Gawain didn’t answer. It is still with its same old self.

“Why must you reject me? I had always treated you as family. When you became a maestro I was very happy. But why…?”

Suddenly. Some unexpected things happened.

“Grrrrrr…”

Gawain actually lifted its neck to scare Lucca. Lucca was afraid to move forward and fell to the ground on the spot.

Then she silently cried.

The sounds of the owls and the wings of the insects suddenly stopped… Most probably caused by Gawain’s growl. In the silent night the only sound, that could be heard, was Lucca's crying.

''-Crack!'' Ash stepped on a dried branch.

''Damn!''- The sound was tremendously clear in the middle of the night. He regretted it as soon he understood what had happened.

“…?”

Lucca, while wiping of her tears, turned back and looked at Ash’s direction. It seemed that there was no longer a point for him to be hiding. After Ash made up his mind… He walked out and towards Lucca.

“You are… From the student council?”

It seems that she didn’t remember Ash’s name. But since she also didn’t even remember Silvia’s name… This was expected.

Ash stated his name while smiling. “I’m Ash.”

“…Why are you here?”

“Sorry. I accidentally saw you running into the woods…”

After Ash explained. He looked at Gawain.

Gawain had frightened Lucca just now. That was a total rejection.

Lucca treated Gawain as her family which is undoubtedly the right thing to do… But Ash still didn’t understand why Gawain was not bothered by it. The image of Lucca sobbing remains in Ash's mind…

In a few moments, it had turned into determination.

Ash as if he wanted to protect Lucca stood in front of Gawain.

“Say, Lucca. The previous experiment… Can I have it continued right now?”

Lucca gasped.

“This… Has nothing to do with you.”

“No. Of course it has something to do with me.”

Ash took a step closer to Gawain.

“This fellow had made you cry. This reason alone should be enough for me to interfere.”

===Part 2===
Anya was looking, at Ash's sudden challenge with Gawain, from afar.

“That guy… What is he trying to do?”

Anya followed her plan, which was, working at the training campsite at Allonnes Lakeside presenting herself as a waitress at the student restaurant ‘La Tene’. The work to prepare the food was more troublesome than she thought. It was already midnight before her job was done.

On her way back to her room, for a rest from the kitchen, she accidentally spied Ash.

Anya was interested in Ash who had sneaked out and into the Norg Forest.

After all… The reason, why Anya worked hard to infiltrate ‘La Tene’, was to investigate Ash Blake. She thought that she had a better chance to come into contact with Ash in the restricted area of the training camp compared to the large area of the school grounds.

For Ash to run out into the middle of the forest was out of Anya’s expectation. He even challenged Gawain.

As for the matters concerning Gawain… Anya also heard something regarding it. It was said that it was resting in Norg forest because it wasn't feeling well.

Anya couldn’t figure out any reason to bring a sick maestro here. The rest of the staff in charge of the foods also didn’t receive any information regarding it. - There was probably no reason for the basic staff to know about it.

Ash was protecting a girl at his back. To her surprise… She was an Eckbald. ''Her name should be Lucca Saarinen…'' Anya secretly thought. She had memorized all the names of the student who attended the training camp before hand.

From their conversations that she could not hear clearly, it seems that Lucca’s and Gawain’s relationship right now was bad. So Ash wanted to help her to solve this problem- This should be the whole picture for the incident.

Ash is probably thinking about riding on Gawain just like how he defeated the Necromanica.

“What is this about… Trying to play the hero in front of a cute girl.”

Anya wonders why would she suddenly gets mad for.

===Part 3===
The sharp claws tore through the moonlight mercilessly.

Ash immediately jumped aside from the strong front paw. He will die in a horrible way if he faces it directly.

“Stop…!”

Lucca shouted at the top of her voice but Gawain had no intention of stopping.

After its front paw missed… Gawain’s weakness was exposed. Ash uses that opportunity to step on a tree branch to climb up a nearby tree. After he reached a suitably thick branch he followed it out and looked downward.

Gawain’s entire back was in his view.

“Uoooooo!”

Ash decided to jump down from the branch.

Gawain was not in his riding gear but this is just what Ash wanted. He had decided, that when riding on a dragon, the riding gear would only be in his way. Actually… Ash had heard before, in class, that ‘All the great riders hated the riding gear’.

“You are now under my control!”

Ash successfully landed on Gawain’s back. Like how a horse riding tribe will typically mount a horse without a saddle… Ash was now riding on Gawain’s naked back . His hands were holding tightly onto its neck. He swore not to let go of it even when Gawain tried to shake him off with its dragon strength.

“Grrrr…”

The thrash that Ash experienced nearly made him faint. He still kept telling himself never to let go.

Ash, with all his might, tried to tame Gawain and tried to persuade it to accept Lucca again.

But suddenly… Gawain gave an earth shattering roar.

“What’s happening…?”

Ash felt fear. But, unless Ash let loose from his grip, Gawain had no chance of winning. As long as Ash remains on its back… Gawain can’t use its breath attack, magic, teeth or claws.

If it is so, then what is the uneasiness he was felling.

Even when Ash had a complete advantage, of mounting it on the back, he felt an uneasiness deep inside as if–he–was the one whose back was exposed to a shinigami. <ref>God of death. Grim Reaper.</ref>

At that moment there was a wave of magic that felt like it exploded out from Gawain’s body.

“Uwaaa…!”

Ash was thrown into the air by an invincible wall.

His sight was spinning.

The bright moonlight came into his view for a moment.

Ash, who was still spinning in midair, had nowhere to escape. Gawain, like a whip, swatted its tail at Ash.

''“*Cough*…!”''

It was a direct hit on Ash.

An unimaginable strong impact swept from his chest passing on to his abdomen and sent him flying, parallel with the ground, until he hit a tree and only then did he slowly fall to the ground.

''“*Coug*…*Cough*…!”''

Ash coughed and then even coughed out blood. He probably had internal injuries. He was making some weird noises from his throat… Which was probably caused by a broken bone that punctured his lungs.

To make it worse… The blood from his head flowed in to his left eye blinding half of his view.

His body totally ignored his orders. Ash felt a cold chill. He didn’t know how serious his injuries were. The thing that frightened him the most was… He can’t even feel a single pain after such serious injuries. As if this body is not his.

''Will my life end like this…?'' Ash almost lost hope.

Eco's face suddenly emerged in his mind.

''An angry face. An angry face. An angry face… No matter what. It is always an angry face. Even so… I hope that she would smile to me more often. A pure cheerful smile.''

''-Stop! What am I thinking about? Isn’t this… No different from dying. How could Eco smile at me…''

With his back on the tree… Ash mustered all his remaining strength and glared at Gawain.

“Grrrr….”

Gawain was threatening Ash.

Ash had just realized there was a thin layer of magic on its body. That's the reason he was sent flying, it was a thin layer of magic.

“Reflecting type… Defense magic!”

This is a high level magic that could only be activated by a maestro.

The effect of this magic was not to neutralize an attack but to reflect it. Even though Ash was only clinging on to Gawain… But it probably interpreted Ash's presence as an ‘attack’. Could this have anything to do with his ability ‘to ride on any dragon’?

“Just what kind of rascal is it…”

Under those conditions Gawain could even use its defence magic to eliminate Ash. If it was any other dragon Ash's 'riding on their back' talent would have them tamed.

He already reached his limit.

Just before he loses consciousness… He felt that he heard Lucca calling after him.

===Part 4===
“This couldn’t be true…”

Anya watched the whole breath taking event. An empty handed human versus a dragon… That was clearly a stupid move but Anya still thinks that there is hope deep inside her heart. Since Ash is the famous ‘Silver Knight’.

But the result is clear in a blink of an eye.

“Just what kind of rascal is it…”

Ash who was hit by the dragon’s tail pitifully, even though he still remained conscious after he landed, after this words, he remained motionless.

Maybe he was dead. Ash, under the moonlight, could only be described as pitiful.

Not only that his head was bleeding nonstop, he even threw out blood. The seriousness of his internal injuries is even hard to determine.

Then, Lucca, made a sad voice.

“Nooooo!”

Lucca, who was pale in the face, rushed over to Ash. But she quickly panicked as Ash's injuries were pretty much lethal. She didn’t know what to do.

At this moment… Anya was thinking about two things.

''-If she left him as he is, he will die sooner or later. Serve him right for showing off and ruining Milgauss-sams’s plan. This is his divine punishment.''

''-But I still owe him. If I don’t save him… Won’t I lose my honour as a Tantalos? The fellow had saved me once without thinking about the'' ''consequences…''

“Damn!”

She was lost for just a moment. Ash's life could not be guaranteed if it was left in the hand of the unreliable girl.

If she is unlucky there will be questions about why would a staff member, in charge of food service, be in the Norg Forest. Well. That will be a problem in the future but she just needs to make an excuse to cover up.

Anya rushed out from the trees and pushed Lucca aside.

She discovered that Lucca, who was suffering from trauma herself, is trying to carry Ash’s upper body. Didn’t she know that simply moving the body, of an injured person, will put their life in danger?

“What are you doing?! I’ll take care of the emergency treatment. Go and look for help!”

“Y-Yes.”

Even though Lucca was still troubled… She still knew the seriousness of the current situation and there was not a single moment to be wasted. She turned around and ran as if she was trying to blend into the darkness of the forest.

===Part 5===
“…”

When he regained consciousness… He was in a strange place.

The floors had alternating black and white tiles laid out like a checkerboard. There were many semi-completed objects hanging randomly on the walls. Human bodies, beasts, armours, buildings and many more. On the ceiling was a grand palace-like Chandelier which was a bright-dragon-crystal light.

There was an antique bed in the middle of the room and Ash was resting there.

“I remember that…”

''I lost to Gawain and was seriously injured. Even though he still remembered the incident… There are only just fragments of memories. Even though he was seriously injured he still doesn't feel any pain or even a wound on his body. His uniform which was originally covered in blood had become clean. This was weird.''

“Are you awake?”

“Uwaa!”

After someone breathed in his ear Ash immediately sat up in fear. A girl right next to him, sitting beside the bed, was there without him even knowing.

“It has been some time since we saw each other face to face!”

The girl was beautiful. Her dress clearly highlighted her curves. Even though she had two horns on her head they were still not very noticeable. Her hair was like Eco’s shiny pink coloured hair.

“Are you… Navi?”

Ash had met her about a week before Eco was born. No… ‘Met’ was not the right word to describe this situation… Because he saw Navi in his dreams.

The Navi in his dreams had explored his body all over. Just by thinking about it Ash blushed.

“Tee Hee…”

After Navi gave a devilish smile she leaned forward. Ash could smell something nice, but when he found out that he was on a bed, he started to feel uneasy.

“Wait!”

Ash averted his eyes from Navi’s huge breast and shouted.

“Navi, if you are here, then… I should be dreaming. Right? No. There is no other explanation. Because I who was seriously injured don’t even have a scratch on me right now!”

“You are not dreaming.”

“I-If I’m not dreaming… Then I’m in ‘that world’?"

Navi laughed because she probably thinks that Ash’s panicking looks funny.

“This is just the Dragon Workshop! The place where dragons made/make their creations. I’m the one responsible for summoning you here.”

“Even though I still don’t really understand the current situation… At least I’m alive… No?”

“As long as your true body is safe.”

“What do you mean?”

“The you now, here, is nothing but a spirit.”

“Is that true…”

Ash turned down his head to observe his own body.

“That’s right. Your spirit has now left your body. If your body in the material world stops functioning, then you have nowhere to go.”

“Y-You must be kidding! Let me return to my original state immediately!”

“Worry not. There is a reason for me to personally bring you here. This child has something that it wants to tell you.”

Just like agreeing with Navi-

“Kyuu.”

A small animal popped out from over her shoulder. After taking a closer look, even though it had the size of a rat, it's still a dragon.

“That dragon is?”

“This is Gawain. Although it's a maestro it has not yet matured mentally so it looks is like this while here.”

“T-This little guy is really Gawain…?”

Ash kept on examination the small animal in front of him. After being told by Navi… This dragon did indeed have some similarities with Gawain.

“Fufu… If we were to fight right now… Isn’t it a sure win for me?”

“Kyun!”

Gawain gave out a frightened voice and hid behind Navi.

“…Tsk. Pretending to be the nice guy. So. What do you want to tell me? Before that, let me say, I was nearly killed by you.”

After Ash asked… Gawain made a soft sound while coming out to stand on Navi’s shoulder. It seems that it was trying to ask Navi to become the translator.

After Gawain finished speaking, Navi looked at Ash.

“Gawain said that its master is Lucca and Lucca alone. The reason why it reject you was because it doesn’t want anyone apart from Lucca to ride on its back. Even when you were the ‘The Boy Who Can Ride Any Dragon’.”

“What are you talking about! You were obviously rejecting Lucca this whole time…”

“Kyuun!”

After Gawain made another angry sound it then explained its reason for rejecting Lucca to Navi.

“…I see. Navi said. Gawain was worried about Lucca and thus rejected her. According to Gawain… Lucca had fallen from its back about three months ago.”

“Huh…? I have never heard of this.”

Ash felt that he being was hit on the head. Three months ago was the time when Gawain started to reject Lucca.

“The Eckbald, as a dragon affiliated race, regard themselves highly and believe that falling from a dragon is a disgrace. That’s why Lucca had never told anyone about this.”

Although Ash doesn’t really know how Lucca is feeling if it's an Eckbald culture… Then he could only accept it.

“Then… Under what circumstances did she fall?”

“Have you ever heard of the Dragon Riding Dance that is passed down by the Eckbald leaders?”

“No. This is my first time hearing about it.”

“Just like what the words say… It is dancing on a dragon while riding. Although Lucca kept silent about this... She was destined to become the leader. So she must start practicing young. Not to mention, if the Dragon Riding Dance was a success, there will be an activation of various types of magic!”

“So you are saying that, in the middle of practicing the Dragon Riding Dance, she fell?"

“That’s right. Since she fell from Gawain she was traumatized. She stood far away from Gawain. Although she was lucky that she only had light injuries… She now lives under the shadow of those memories…”

“Traumatized? I can’t even see that happening.”

“I think that even she herself doesn’t know how much fear is hidden in her heart right now.”

Ash unintentionally said something important.

“Then… Lucca stayed quite far away from Gawain in the Norg forest. She doesn’t even try to pet it. Even at the seventh dragon house in the academy she also maintained her distance.”

''So the unnatural distance was caused by Lucca’s trauma…!''

“If she tried to ride a dragon, with those mixed feelings, she will one day face serious injuries. If a Dragner was afraid of his pal… His future will be at best terrible and at worst he will die. It's because Gawain is worried about Lucca… So it remained stern in not letting Lucca ride on it.”

“I see. So, Gawain, I can see that you are kind! But why was your Astral cut off?”

“After the magic of Wise Dragon Albion was activated the dragons were under special restrictions. One of them was; The more you go against a master’s orders the less astral you will receive. If this situation keeps on… Gawain will die soon. Even with the Norg Forest supplying some Astral… It is still hard to say whether it can survive for more than five more days.”

“-!”

Ash held his breath.

''Only a mere five days.'' Ash had never thought that the situation was this critical.

“Gawain… Would you rather sacrifice your life to protect Lucca?”

Ash spoke to Gawain seriously but it was with its haughty look

Ash who replied with a wry smile suddenly felt something was off.

“…Huh?”

Ash quickly looked at his own body. His skin became transparent and he felt an irresistible force pulling his body.

The truth is… Ash's legs were slowly lifting from the ground.

If this continues… Then he will be floating in a few moments.

“Hey, hey… what is…?"

“It seems that you are leaving.”

Navi calmly told the good news.

“Huh!”

Without knowing whether she was enjoying Ash’s changes in expressions, Navi smiled.

“Even though I said that you are leaving… It's different from what you are thinking. Your body is healing and thus summoning your spirit back. This is the law of nature.”

Ash was relieved after hearing Navi’s explanation.

“So… I’m safe?"

“That’s it.”

Navi stood up from beside the bed and walk towards Ash. There were some redness on her face. Were those illusions?

“I’ll be waiting for your growth –– ‘Knight of Avalon’.”

“Avalon? What does it mean?”

Navi gave a simple tap on his face as an answer. Although he was still at his spiritual state, he could still clearly feel the softness of a girl’s palm.

“Fufu. You must learn to ride on me as soon as possible!”

“But my pal is Eco…”

“Eco and I are two surfaces on a coin. If you ride on her, it also means, you are riding on me.”

“What does that mean-?”
[[Image:SnRK V03 181.jpg|thumb|Ash was no longer able to resist the strong force and was swallowed by the darkness.]]

Ash was not allowed to ask any further questions. It was because that Navi was kissing him passionately.

“Mguk...!”

Navi’s watery lips had warped up Ash’s lower lips. Before he could react… His upper lip was also sucked in by Navi. Both of their salivas flowed together. Just when their mouths were wet, Navi forces her tongue into Ash’s mouth.

“....Nn!”

Their slippery tongues were curled together.

...Until he was separated from Navi... Ash's thoughts was in a mess. After this intense experience… Ash only knew that there exists such a kiss.

Navi was with her, rarely seen, blushing looks and crimson red watery iris.

“I hoped that you can have such a kiss with Eco one day in the future.”

“Wh- What are you talking about!”

“Fufu. Let’s us meet on another day.”

At the same time, as Navi was speaking with her watery lips, Ash was no longer able to resist the strong force and was swallowed by the darkness.

===Part 6===
“I’m at…?”

Ash had also woken up in a strange room this time. The only thing is… This place doesn’t have the supernatural feel of the Dragon Workshop.

The smell of the antiseptic, white curtains and medicine on the shelves. From the semi-drawn back curtains Allonnes lakeside could be seen with thick white mist.

This should be the infirmary for the training camp.

Ash suddenly felt that he was touching something weird.

“... What’s this?”

Ash curiously moved his right hand that was under the blanket. It felt slippery and soft and there is a hint of heat from it. It obviously felt like a living thing.

“Eeeehhhhhh!”

Ash was shocked and jumped on the spot. Although his body hurts… This is not the time to worry about that.

The moment he flipped over the blanket… He saw something unbelievable. Even after he immediately covers it back up with the blanket… But the image he saw had been deeply carved into his mind.

“Why… Is Lucca here?”

Ash was sweating a huge amount of sweat.

That’s right, the thing, under the blanket was no other than Lucca.

And… She was naked.

Because she slept in such a way, like a baby cuddling up, that’s why at least her important parts weren't seen… But the stimulation to his heart was still intense.

At the same time… Ash also found out that his clothes were removed totally, although there were bandages on his chest, there isn’t a single piece of clothing left.

It is probably that the clothes will interfere with his treatment. So the reason why he was naked can still be explained. But… Why would Lucca was sleeping on the same bed as him naked?”

Ash looked all over the infirmary again. From the looks of the sky it should be in the morning right now. Not a sound could be heard from the lakeside.

Surrounding the bed were placed silver flasks that looked like lamp stands.

“This is…?”

There were water coloured crystals on top of each of the flasks. Ash found out that they are those expensive Bright Dragon Crystals with healing effect.

It was said that the training given in the training camp was strict and thus the amount of injured students were high. These should be the medical supplies prepared by the academy.

“I see… Thanks to the healing magic. I can continue to live on.” Ash nodded after it dawned on him.

His chest suddenly hurts.

“It hurts!"

Even when they have used healing magic, it seems that, he won’t be able to fully recover in a short time. Ash unintentionally placed his hand on his head and found out that he also had bandages on his head too.

From his injuries, it is apparent, he will be treated as a patient for some time.

Just when Ash sighed, Lucca unwittingly made a small noise.

“Nn...”

Her pointy ears twitched cutely.

“Fuuwa!”

After a few moments Lucca, with a very sleepy face, slowly sat up. She generously showed her flat chest to Ash and dazed at him with her sleepy eyes… Until the moment when her vision was focused. She suddenly grabs and hugs Ash.

“Luckily… You were all right…!”

“Uwaaa!” Ash was thrown into a panic after being hugged by a lovely Yōsei girl.

To make it worse… They were on a bed… Naked.

“It huuuurts!”

The moment Lucca hugged him tightly his entire chest hurts. Now is not the time for him to blush in the presence of a naked Yōsei body .

“S-Sorry...”

She let go of Ash gloomily.

Ash, averting his eyes away from the white tender naked body, simply came out with the question...

“I-It’s alright, because I’m already healed, b-but could you please put on some clothes? Back to the topic… Why were you sleeping on the same bed with me?”

“…”

Lucca reached to pick up her one-piece pajama from the floor, while Ash made use of this time to cover his own naked body with the blanket.

Lucca, who had gotten up to put on her pajama, sat down on a chair beside the bed and only then did she answer Ash's question.

“It was because your body’s temperature was dropping… So I’m trying to warm you up.

“I-Is that so. Thank you very much.”

After thanking her kindly… Ash remembered the incident that happened in the Dragon Workshop.

“That’s right…! It may be hard to believe, but… I was at the Dragon Workshop!”

“Dragon Workshop?”

Lucca was surprised.

“That’s it. The workshop where the dragons fabricate their creations. I had a conversation there with Gawain.”

“Huh…?”

Ash tried to explain to Lucca who was stunned.

===Part 7===
After Ash told her the truth, Lucca was in tears.

“Why… Gawain… Because of me… Just because to protect me… It would rather sacrifice its life...”

When he saw Lucca’s shaking shoulders, as she was crying, Ash discovered something.

He had thought of her as a girl without emotions. But that's not the truth. She is just someone who can’t express her emotions well. Her crying for Gawain is the only proof needed.

Thinking back carefully. It was the same during that time.

In the forest during the full moon… Lucca also cried. Ash decision to challenge Gawain was also because of his sympathy for her-

“That’s right. Gawain didn’t allow you to ride on its back because it was worried about you. If the rider was to be afraid of its pal… Then his life will be threatened…”

“It’s… All because of me…”

“Summon your courage!” Although he knows this is a little cruel to her, Ash still shouts it.

Because Navi had already notified him in the Dragon Workshop that Gawain’s life has…

“Please calm down and hear me out. Gawain had only a few more days to live… According to the information that I had received from the Dragon Workshop it can only live for a mere five more days.”

Upon hearing that… Lucca was visibly shaken.

“Before that… How many days have I been sleeping?”

After Ash had asked… Lucca answered by mumbling with her face looking more pale than ever.

“Today is… The sixth day.”

“Huh?”

Ash was taken aback. This means that he had lost consciousness since the first night of the training camp until just now.

Although the training camp lasts for seven days, in reality, there is nothing wrong about taking the sixth day as the last. Because on the seventh day they would only be returning to Ansarivan- just like that.

Also… The main event of the sixth day of the training camp would be cleaning the campsite. The closing ceremony would be held that evening.

In another words… The Selective Training Camp is as good as over.

But Ash didn’t think that he had wasted his time here. The truth wouldn't have been revealed if he had not challenged Gawain.

The thing is… They must make sure of Gawain’s safety. If Navi's prediction is correct… Gawain will die any moment.

“Lucca! Look for Gawain immediately!”

“But… I can’t leave you.”

“I’m already alright. Right now, you must only think about Gawain!”

“…Understood.”

Lucca rubbed off her tears and lifted her head.

Her gaze was full of determination and it moved his heart.

After Ash had nodded to her… Lucca rushed out from the infirmary.

Navi had made a ‘five days’ death declaration.

But Ash had slept for five days…

Just when Ash was worried and held his fist up without being interfered by the pain-

“Ash!”

The owner of the voice who rushed into the room seems to be Eco. Her shiny hair sways as she rushed up to the bed side.

It's likely that Ash was thinking too much when he thought Eco looked tired. Just maybe she hadn’t slept well and her red swollen eyes are alone enough to give him a heartache. It's possibly because she cried a lot after the incident. Ash thought that his heart was going to break.

''-I will not be able to escape from a punch or two from her…'' Ash fears rightly.

Ash was prepared to be hit, but surprisingly Eco was only cuddling in front of the blanket.

“Baka, baka, baka! <ref>Moron</ref> I thought that… Thought that you were going to die! What were you doing? You are owned by me! Don't you know that…!”

Eco hid her face in the blanket and started sobbing.

“Sorry. Eco.”

Ash was petting Eco’s head while bearing with the pain.

Thinking back carefully… The morning alarm must not have rung yet. But Eco, who usually was a sleep-in, had rushed here early in the morning.

''Although she refuses to admit it. She is evidently still my pal…'' Ash was happy down to the depths of his heart.

But the peaceful moment only lasted for a while.

“It is good to hear that you had regained consciousness.”

The student council’s members, led by Rebecca, rushed into the infirmary as a crowd.

“You moron!”

Silvia unhappily scolded.

“Thanks to you for being an idiot I can fully enjoy a twin-sharing bedroom by myself.”

Max was insulting him while adjusting his spectacles on his nose.

“…”

Only Jessica remained troubled and moved her suprisingly sensitive nose around Ash’s blanket. Logically speaking… She should be the first person to hug Ash…

“…What are you doing?”

Upon asking that… Jessica sharply glared at him.

“What is this about…! Why is the blanket full of Lucca-san’s smell! Could it be that Ash-sama… Likes those types of young girls?”

“No… It's not like that!”

Ash became nervous, since it was true that Lucca was sleeping with him, which made it all that much harder to give an explanation.

“What did you say!”

Eco was the first to react after hearing Jessica’s words. It was as if she had transformed into another person. She sniffed the blanket with a cold expression and her eyes widen.

“It's true! This smell of herbal medicine… Is from that Eckbald!”

“C-Calm down. I beg you to calm down first Eco.”

Ash was under great pressure. Although he desperatly wanted to escape through the window he was still stark naked. Once he climbed out from the window his naked body will be exposed. This was a situation where he couldn’t do what he wanted.

“Hold on… Are you insane? Even I, as your master, was not allowed to enter and had to give up on visiting you. But you…”

“I-Is that so?” Ash had wondered about that.

Judging from what she had said… Lucca seemed to have entered the infirmary without permission.

“Ash. You rascal… There are so many to choose from and yet you choose a young junior and lured her into your bed…? Yet why aren't you concerned about the condition of your own health and how we worried about you…”

Silvia’s body was trembling.

“That’s not it… I didn’t lure anyone into my bed! Don’t go on spouting nonsense!”

Too bad for him, but, Silvia didn’t have any intention of listening.

“An enemy of women must face the judgment of the hammer of death!”

Aahh, it seems, that inevitably, I’m going to face some pain… Ash felt like crying.

“Ho-Hold on! I’m still a patient… No?”

But Silvia had long ago clenched her fist tightly and was not at all bothered by Ash’s begging.

Eco too also angrily lifted her right foot.

“This is Lautreamont’s family's rules!”

“I’m gonna trample you!”

===Part 8===

“Huu… In the end, there isn’t a single useful result that was obtained.”

On her right hand was a bright dragon crystal powered torch and on her left’s was a map of the Willingham Mausoleum. Angela sigh in disappointment.

Angela alone had gone through the journey of the exploration of the Willingham Mausoleum.

Although basically she came here as a campsite instructor… Her original motive was still the Willingham Mausoleum. If not because of this… She would never have agree to go to the Selective Training Camp full of sweat and smells.

This was the sixth day she was investigating the Willingham Mausoleum. Since, the first day she arrived at Allonnes Lakeside, she had immediately came here.

“Although the historical value is hard to predict… This is really a letdown.”

Willingham Mausoleum was a grave that was built from a natural cave. The atmosphere was peaceful inside the Willingham Mausoleum which was due to its two thousand years of history.

Angela found quite a number of dragon fossils. She had originally thought that since this is a mausoleum, all the bodies will be buried nicely. But, there seems to be exception.

“…Huh?”

Just when Angela was marching towards the exit. -She suddenly stood still.

In front of her was a strange fork road. Angela, who was always calm, had just turned pale.

“Could it be…”

Angela had inspected the map for one more time. This was a totally different place compared to the intended route. It seems that she was lost because of her carelessness. Her deduction skills had dropped probably because of her lack of sleep.

''No matter what, if I don’t find a way out… I’m sure to meet the same fate as these dragons.'' Angela feared.

“Since I had been in love with the dragons for a long time… It's not a bad idea to be buried with them... Like hell I would!”

Angela, while commenting to herself, was thinking about her troubles.

Basically. All the instructors and students knew she is at Willingham Mausoleum. If she returned late… They will send someone to search for her.

“I’m really… How could I be this unlucky!”

After putting down her luggage Angela rested with her back facing the rocks. She thinks that this is not a time for her to be running around in panic.

''-Click.''

In a few moments… She heard voices that could never be found in nature.

“…?"

At the same time, while making a ‘Ssssssss’ sound, the wall behind Angela moved.

“T-This is?"

Angela immediately turned her head around. The place where there originally should have been rocks now has a rectangular hole. She immediately shine the hole with her bright dragon crystal powered torch.

The hole is suspected to be a secret passage where the end couldn't even be seen.

“Could it be that… This mechanism was designed by the dragons?"

Although the details weren't clear… What she can be sure of is that she accidentally set off the trigger. But under the eyes of a commoner this passage would just seem like a normal natural cave…

After wiping of the dust off her spectacles Angela shouted in joy.

“Who would know that such mechanisms exist. This is the century’s biggest discovery!”

Angela had forgotten that she was in a fix and lifted her bright dragon crystal powered torch while stepping into the secret passage.

===Part 9===
“This is just too good to be true…!”

At the end of the secret passage Angela gave another cheer.

There was a space here that had nothing to do with the mausoleum at all.

It is the size of a classroom at the academy. In this dug out space, bookshelves, tables, sofas and other furniture can be seen.

There were carpets of different designs on the floor that gave it an elegant atmosphere.

After the torch was shone on the ceiling, Angela was stunned.

“That’s…”

On the ceiling was an extravagant chandelier. But it still seemed logical since it had bright-dragon-crystal in it. If any grave robbers had found it, they will be sure to move it away immediately.

Angela looked upwards and sang a chant. What she was singing was a basic level oracle and the light immediately lightens up. A light far stronger than the torch had lit the room and thus Angela was able to explore every single corner.

“This carpet, without a doubt, it is a dragon’s creation. This design was once very popular among the dragons of about a thousand years ago. The rest of the furniture also has the dragons’ style…”

The dragons, who were at the same time artisans, have special taste for beauty. It is totally different from humans’ design.

“What is the reason for the dragons to build this room…?”

Angela suddenly looked at the table.

There was a book that was an inch thick lying on the antique table. The book itself emits a serious feeling that made it seem like it was the owner of this room.

“Is it… To pass this book to the humans…?’

Angela approached the table and took the book. The over luxurious looks gave a deep impression and the weight is extremely heavy, just like an encyclopedia.

“Could…. This be the ‘Old Testament of the Stella Biblia’…?”

Angela’s spectacles nearly slide off her nose.

The Chevron Kingdom and the Knight Country worships Rosa Maria and made it as the country’s religion. The bible that records the teaching is usually called the Stella Biblia

The Stella Biblia records about the life of Saint Rosa Maria and her pal Eco. The believers learn the religion’s teaching through the study of Rosa Maria and Eco’s way of life. The reason why Ash named his pal ‘Eco’ is because of he was influenced by this Stella Biblia.

By the way, although it was said that the ‘Stella Biblia’ have two versions which are the ‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament”, but only the ‘New Testament’ is recognized by the headquarters for the Rosa Maria religion's - Holy Espada Agency. Just not too long ago even the Old Testament was banned…

Angela happily flipped over the pages and read out a few sentences.

“…After the wise dragon Inbroke, two major bloodlines were formed. They are the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family and the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family. An endless war started from these two families-.”

Angela was confused.

“T-This… did this happen during the ancient kingdom…? But it felt like a legend after reading…”

As if it was to help Angela to get rid of her trouble, a sound of another person was heard in the room.

“No, that is exactly the truth.”

“-!”

Angela immediately hid the Old Testament of the Stella Biblia in between her arms and coldly glared at the intruder.

“A grave robber? No… You don’t look like that kind of person.”

“In the ancient times… When the Zono Ton Enlightenment had started in this Ark Strada Continent… The two families who inherited the wise dragon Inbroke’s bloodline had started the bloody war."

A tall and skinny guy said this story.

The only thing that can be clearly seen was his silver mask. His expression was hard to be judged because his eyes were covered. There were a few strands of red hairs mixing in with the rest of his silvery hair and he emits an evil aura.

Although, his attire is of a mercenary, he gave out an extraordinary feel that made his clothes stand out.

An oat coloured skin girl was silently standing behind him. Her face looks handsome and cute but her eyes express strong determination.

This small sized girl was wearing her tribal gear. The metal glove in her left hand attracts attention and there is a high possibility that there are weapons in it.

“Both of you are…!”

Angela remembered.

The two suspicious people that Ash met in the forest about two months ago.

Angela had also gone through the reports that the student council sorted. According to it… The girl called the guy ‘Milgauss-sama’.

“Why would both of you come to these ruins?”

Angela acted calm and asked them coolly.

On her right hand was a bright-dragon-crystal made ring. The red crystal signifies a fire element.

Her only winning chance will be the element of surprise…

But Milgauss, as if he had already knew what she was thinking, said:

“You wanted to use the red-flame dragon’s-breath as an attack. No?”

Angela gasped after her intention of using the oracle had been found out.

“I’ll advise you for not doing that. Those puny flames, that can only kill dragonflies, can hurt me? To dragons, those flames were nothing. Am I wrong Ann?”
[[Image:SnRK V03 201.jpg|thumb|“You wanted to use the red flame dragon’s breath as an attack. No?”]]

“What…!”

Angela’s eyes widen. If that guy addressed her as ‘Professor Cornwell’ she wouldn’t even be surprised. Since she is one of the top researchers for the dragons it would be normal if people of the Zepharos Empire recognized her.

But Milgauss addressed her as ‘Ann’.

“Y-You… Could you be…!”

In the mean time, she felt something was off. Until the moment her feeling turned into reality, the ‘Old Testament of the Stella Biblia’ had fallen on to the ground.

Angela was no stranger to Milgauss's elegant voice.

Logically speaking… This is their first meeting but Angela recognized that voice.

Once she realized the truth, in her eyes, Milgauss's standing posture and his hidden smile overlapped with ‘the person’ she recognized.

''-I knew this guy! But he… Shouldn't even be living…''

Angela’s lips trembled while looking at Milgauss’s face. ''How could this be''… Angela couldn’t help but keep on thinking about the face underneath the mask.

===Part 10===
It was twelve years before.

The young genius girl - Angela Cornwell, who was thirteen at that time, had graduated from the University of Fontaine City and wanted to move overseas for further studies.

The location was the highest academy institution in Chevron Kingdom, University of Feachador. The education fees were fully covered by the Knight’s royal family.

It was in the university’s research lab that Angela met the ‘Ouji-sama’<ref>Prince</ref>

That time should be around mid-summer. In the month of Leo.

That day was the University of Feachador’s anniversary and the whole place was crowded.

But only Angela alone was in the research lab still doing research about dragons. The lecturers and the students had gone out to enjoy the celebration.

But someone appeared in front Angela who was in the middle of her research. That person was Julius.

Julius Lautreamont made use of the Ansarivan’s Dragon Riding Academy’s summer break opportunity to visit the Chevron Kingdom. Apart from vacation he also bears the job of a diplomat.

“Haha. I thought I saw an angel! Are you the daughter of a lecturer or a sister of a student?”

“I-I, myself, am a student!”

According to Julius… He ran into the university to escape from some troublesome fans. In the end… He had gotten lost.

He had a handsome look about him and yet also a, somewhat, mischievous behavior.

Julius was only sixteen during that time and he was already a dragner.

Not only he was strong and smart… He was also an attractive boy. The meeting she had with Julius had left a deep impression in her mind.

Julius smile had melted, the lonely genius, Angela’s heart.-

===Part 11===
The feeling that Milgauss gave out is almost the same as Julius’s. Even after he put on the mask and changed his hair style… The manner in which he speaks was still the same as years before.

“H-How… Is this possible…!”

Angela was stunned.

Milgauss had given orders to the girl behind him coldly.

“Do it!”

The girl immediately adjusted the weapon in her left hand’s metal glove- It is a leather whip that the mountains tribes love to use.

“Haa!”

The whip bends according to the girls shout.

The whip swept past Angela with a ‘sss’ and she bend her knees to avoid. Her spectacles were hit and fell to the ground.

“Urgh…”

Even though the girl attacked from the front… Angela’s back was in pain. It seems that the whip easily avoided Angela’s field of vision and attacked from the back.

“B-Both of you… What is the reason you… Come to Willingham Mausoleum-”

At the same time… Angela thought of the only possibility.

The culprit guilty of using the Necromancia, to attack Ansarivan, has yet to be found out.

But, according to the time when Milgauss appeared at Ansarivan, it is reasonable to suspect him.

''-The crucial material of creating the Necromancia are the bones of the dragons.''

If Milgauss is the culprit for releasing the Necromancia, then shouldn’t the Willingham Mausoleum become very dangerous? Since there were many bones buried underground…!

“I beg you… Immediately... Leave this place-”

Angela with a trembling voice said towards the students who were at the lakeside preparing for the closing ceremony.

Needless to say… No one is able to receive her warning-

The girl knocked her with a hatchet and she lost consciousness.

===Part 12===
After making sure that Angela had fainted… Anya turned around and looked at Milgauss.

“About this woman… How are we gonna deal with her? She is still a good scholar; it is a pity for us to kill her…”

Milgauss replied coldly.

“I don’t need anyone like her. Just end her lif- Guuk!”

The next moment, Milgauss looked strange. He was suddenly breathing heavily in pain and struggling while kneeling down on the floor.

“Guu… This damn person! Such determination… Must he interfere with me-!”

Milgauss was muttering something weird.

“M-Milgauss-sama!”

Anya was nervous when she ran to Milgauss. This was the first time she saw Milgauss suffer to this extend. She had never heard before that Milgauss had any ailment disease…

“…Fear not. I’m absolutely alright.”

Milgauss suddenly stood up which made the pain before look like a show. The feeling though is like after a demon being excoriated.

“Err… Milgauss-sama? Are you really alright? Anything wrong with your-“

“I’m very fine. The main point is-“

Milgauss was looking at the floor. Angela was still unconscious. Milgauss who addressed her as ‘Ann’. The sound of it made it seem like he was calling a close friend or a lover…

"Let’s not bother about this woman. This is a Mausoleum for the dragons. The dead body of a human will only dirty this place."

“…Understoood.”

Until Anya replied, even when she was still troubled by it, Milgauss had turned around facing another side.

“Milgauss-sama…?’

Anya was confused.

She doesn’t understand what was happening around Milgauss.

Just before he turned strange, Milgauss wanted to kill Angela… ''But why did he change his mind?''

Milgauss continued to give orders to Anya who was still letting her thoughts wonder.

“I’ll activate the Necromancia in a few moments. Be prepared to head back to Ansarivan.”

“Understood.”

Although she was still worried, about Milgauss's physical condition, Anya still answered immediately.

The time for the battle is about to begin.

===Part 13===
In the evening… Ash had nothing to do.

Under the assistance of the healing magic his injuries were now much better. Although his body still hurts he can now walk on his own. Also… He was now able to wear a patients’ gown. Anyway. It was embarrassing to remain naked.

Having said that. It is the truth that he was still badly injured.

Not only his head but his entire body warped up into a mummy. Apart from going to the washroom he was forbiden from going anywhere let alone outside.

Ash was staring at the scenery outside the window for quite some time.

“Is the closing ceremony starting…?” He wondered.

At the lakeside, as dusk is now ending, the preparations for the campfire are still going on. In about an hours time those logs, that were stacked up high, will be burned.

Rebecca, Silvia, Jessica, Cosette, Max… These friends, who had visited him a few times in the morning, were hardly seen just before and during the sunset. This is also because they were busy preparing for the ceremony.

On the other hand… Lucca should be meeting with Gawain deep in the Norg Forest.

Three hours ago, she purposely came back and told Ash that Gawain was still living. After knowing that Gawain was still breathing Ash breathed a sigh of relieve.

The next thing to do is for Lucca to overcome her fear towards Gawain so the Astral, that connects both of them, may continue to flow.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Eco was sleeping peacefully with her head on the bed. It is probable that she didn’t get enough sleep while Ash was in a comma.

“I’m entering. Ash!”

At this moment Rebecca’s voice and a knock on the door sounded at the same time. Before Ash could reply she had already walked into the room.

Rebecca, who was in her swimming wear, wore only a thin shirt covering her top which made her look quite sexy.

Rebecca’s swimming wear was red in colour. Since the shirt was unbuttoned, her deep cleavage, thin white waist and the bikini lines can totally be seen.

“Rebecca-san…!”

Ash doesn’t know where to look at.

“Do you feel better now?”

After looking at Eco with her gentle eyes, she looked at Ash with a serious expression.

“I’m fine. I can even go to the toilet on my own!”

“Good. Back to the main point… I’m worried about something.”

“What’s it?”

“Angela-sensei hasn't yet returned from the ruins even after I had advised her that she must attend the closing ceremony...”

Ash was stunned. He had heard about Angela going to Willingham Mausoleum on the first evening of the training camp. In another words… Angela didn’t know that Ash was badly injured.

“According to her standard behavior… Angela must be too immersed in her explorations. No?”

Ash gave an arbitrary smile but Rebecca was still troubled by it.

“It is alright if it is just like that… I’m worried that she had accidentally met with a grave robber.”

-Bang! Just as Rebecca was talking.

The door suddenly opened and Lucca entered from outside. Because she was running there was a lot of sweat which was probably the cause for her summer uniform to be wet.

It is rare to see her panicking when she always does things so deliberately.

Eco seems to have been woken by the all the commotion. “Nyuu.“ She made a sleepy sound and she slowly sat up rubbing her eyes while looking around.

“What happened?” Ash, more than concerned, asked.

Lucca answered slowly since she was breathing heavily:

“That… kid… Gawain…!”

===Part 14===
Lucca told the whole story slowly.

''-Gawain is dead?''

Ash was thinking about the worst outcome but the truth was not like what he had expected.

Gawain seemed to hide itself when Lucca was not around.

Lucca had been together with Gawain for the entire morning.

As long as she overcomes her fear of falling from Gawain’s back, Gawain will once again accept her. Thus their Astral will once again be connected and Gawain won’t die.

Lucca was facing Gawain with only this thought- But not only did Gawain not accept Lucca it had also hidden itself.

Rebecca gently hugged Lucca who was crying.

“Gawain will never discard you. It probably felt that it was finally going to die and didn’t want you to suffer anymore by seeing its dying expression. So…”

After hearing Rebecca’s assumption, Ash also agreed with it, but Lucca continued...

“We will look for Gawain immediately! Didn’t we already find out the reason why the astral couldn’t connect? With a little more effort… We will be able to save Gawain! But it had already given up… How can we let this happen!”

Rebecca, still willing to help, nodded in agreement.

“That’s right… I also think so. We need not follow exactly what Gawain wants. The problem is… Where is it hiding right now…”

“T-That…”

Lucca provided information to Rebecca who was thinking deeply. She had rubbed off her tears and set herself with a determined look.

“I think… It must have gone into Willing Mausoleum. That is a grave specially for young dragons… Gawain was still at its juvenile age.”

Rebecca nodded.

“Hmm.. That’s possible. Have you ever before heard the story of ‘The dragon of Willingham’?”

“I had heard of it before. My mom always told me this story when I was younger.”

===Part 15===
-It was a disaster that happened to a young dragon.

When Nuada was young… it still managed to become a maestro. But it could not bear to see its young master suffering in her illness so it cut off its Astral. In the end… Nuada had become very weak.

But Nuada swore never to let its master see its dying moment so it left quietly. Later, although the girl recovered, Nuada had died in Willingham Mausoleum alone after some time.

When Ash heard this story from his mother, when he was still a child, he cried.

Rebecca as if wanted to change the atmosphere in the room declared:

“I’ll never let Gawain meet the same fate as Nuada. So… The closing ceremony will be temporally canceled. I’ll ask all the students to look for Gawain. It will be even better if we could find Angela-sensei at the same time.”

“No! please hold on.”

Ash was against this proposal.

“Let the students enjoy the closing ceremony. I had been unconscious for these few days, so I don’t know what kind of training that they had been through, but everyone must have placed their best effort into it. The point for organizing the closing ceremony… Ain’t it to congratulate those students who completed the training camp?”

“You are right, but, what were you planning? Could it be…”

Ash smiled.

“That’s right. I’ll be responsible for the search. Rest assure, thanks to the healing magic, I’m almost fully recovered.”

This is actually a lie. Every time Ash moved he felt pain in both his organs and joints. Even so… He still wouldn’t give up.

Upon hearing this Eco, who was silent the whole time, became angry.

“Are you kidding! Or you must be an idiot! It is clear that your body is still weak… And yet you want to look for that weak dragon!”

Ash places his hand on Eco’s head to calm her down. Even though she was angry, it was still because that she cares and worries about Ash.

“Please, forgive me, Eco. I couldn’t just kept on watching silently. That fella is not a weak dragon.”

“B-But…”

“If you worry about me Eco, then why won't you come with me?”

Eco immediately blushed like a wildfire.

“W-What… M-Me… I never worried about you!”

Ash was not bothered by Eco, who kept on denying herself while shaking her hands, and bowed down in front of Rebecca.

“I beg you… Rebecca.”

“Tsk… I don’t think I can say no. Or else, the closing ceremony will go on as usual but all the student council’s members will help in the search."

“No, that won’t work out, if Rebecca-san is absent everyone will be suspicious about it. For such a ceremony… I hope that every student will enjoy it to the fullest.”

“But-”

Just when Rebecca wanted to explain… The infirmary room’s door opened with a loud bang.

“If that’s the case… I’ll take over that job of yours. As a dragner; We must help those who are in trouble. - This is the Lautreamont’s family’s rules!”

The person who said this was Silvia.

===Part 16===
The search party that had been decided upon consisted of four members which were Ash, Silvia, Eco and Lucca.

Max and Jessica had agreed to go with them but were stopped by Rebecca. Because if too many of the student council members were absent, suspicion will still arise among the students.

Lancelot was now giving four people a ride with Silvia in front holding the reins.

''-Behind princess…''

Ash, who was right behind Silvia, was in fear.

Riding on the dragon while wearing the dragsuit designed for the palace and having her hair tied up nicely… Silvia’s charms as a dragner and a princess emerged.

Although Ash had previously rode on Lancelot with Silvia, during the Necromancia’s attack, he was totally immersed in the battle that time. He didn’t noticed Silvia’s appeal as the opposite sex.

“What are you doing? If you don’t hold on tightly… You’ll fall.”

After being scolded by Silvia ash made up his mind and stretched out his arms. When his arms finally surrounded Silvia’s waist… He was surprised that her abdomen was so thin and fragile.

The third person was Eco. She held on to Ash’s waist gently which probably is because that she was worrying about Ash’s injuries.

“You must also hold on tightly.”

When Ash turned his head around, Eco blushed.

“If I use my true strength… Then your body will be squashed!”

Ash gave a wry smile. Eco cared about Ash’s condition, in her own way, which made his happiness run deep down to the bottom of his heart.

The last person to ride the dragon was Lucca. She was not sitting on the saddle but the end of the tail.

“Hey, Lucca. Are you alright… Sitting like that?”

Silvia asked in surprised.

“It’s alright.”

Lucca answered lightly. It seems that she doesn’t like the riding gear.

Lancelot, who was now carrying four people, gracefully flew up and towards the sky.

===Part 17===
Walking from the traing camp’s location, by the lake, to the Willingham Mausoleum would take about an hour. But, using Lancelot, they arrive in an instant.

Ash thought about Gawain while riding on Lancelot’s back...

''-Tsk… Damn that Gawain… Playing hide and seek when it knew it was dying? What is it trying to act cool for… I’ll never allow it to follow Nuada’s footsteps…!''

Not much later. A stretch of high grounds appeared.

“That should be the entrance to Willingham Mausoleum.”

Silvia said while controlling the reins.

Just as Silvia had said… There was an entrance like building at the middle of the hills. The area surrounding the structure was well shrouded by a thin layer of silky mist. There was an alter-like entrance adorned with shining bright-dragon-crystal powered lights that illuminated the surrounding area.

''Did Angela walk into that type of place alone…?'' Ash felt a cold chill just by thinking about it. It doesn’t matter how you look at it; This place is just not suitable for a lady to enter into alone. It's reasonable for Rebecca to become worried. They also mustn’t ignore the possibility she was attacked by some grave robbers…

Just like sweeping away Ash’s thoughts. Silvia shouted:

“Alright, get ready for landing!”

Lancelot gave a brave roar and started the high speed landing maneuver.

===Part 18===
Milgauss was standing at the top of the hill looking at the world below.

Before his eyes was the entrance to Willingham Mausoleum.

Looking at the landscape further out; There is the Norg Forest and Allonnes Lakeside. Not to mention the buildings for the training camp.

The campfire along the Allonnes Lakeside had been lit at and the closing ceremony had officially begun.

On the ground was a coffin-like box. Milgauss opened the lid and took out a gigantic black sword.

This same gigantic sword is the tool used to summon the Necromancia.

This is the great result of the Empires’ proud mechanical engineering and the development of the dragons. - The remnant of the Magic Techniques. <ref>魔導工学 Magic based mechanics</ref>

After Milgauss had returned to his country… He had improvised this device.

This gigantic sword, that once looked like a piece of art work, had now become more dangerous and mechanized.

The bright dragon crystals on the hilt had increased tremendously. There are a total of nine big crystals and more than twenty smaller ones. If it was to be for sale it could surely fetch large amount of money. But in Milgauss eyes… The expensive crystals were but tools.

Milgauss easily lifted the gigantic sword and stabbed it deep into the ground. This was to send it's magic into the inner part of the mausoleum.

The dragon jaw shaped sword made a deep heavy sound and sunk into the rocks.

“This looks like a tombstone.”

Just when Milgauss was mumbling… A white shape swept passed his eyes. A flying object, that he thought to be a dragon, was getting nearer at a rapid pace.

As it flew over he spied the shadow which looked exactly like Lancelot's. Milgauss widened his eyes, that were under the mask, and looked at the evening sky.

“Hmph… The princess. On patrol?”

Milgauss immediately hid behind the rocks. Even though he thought that the sky was dark enough to hide him from the eyes of the rider he must never underestimate the eyes of a dragon.

Luckily, Lancelot had quickly begun its landing. It seems that they were heading for the mausoleum’s entrance. In a few moments he lost sight of Lancelot.

“Let’s begin.” Exiting from the cover of the rocks.

Milgauss grabbed the hilt of the gigantic sword and started to sing out the spell.

''“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Show yourself by the crystals of the Magic Techniques. The spirits of the young dragons now be revived.”''

In a moments time… The bright-dragon-crystals on the hilt began to shine brightly.

===Part 19===
“A-Angela-sensei… Came to this cave?”

Silvia, who just alighted from Lancelot, was shocked after she examined at Willingham’s Mausoleum’s entrance.

She didn’t expect the mausoleum to be this scary.

It was fine while the sun was still bright but the now darkening sky made it seem a lot scarier.

The mist surrounding the entrance made it look like the doors to hell. Although there were bright-dragon-crystal powered lights around the entrance… They still didn’t ease her fear.

“Gawain…”

Ash placed his hand on Lucca’s head because of her worried looks.

“Rest assured. We will definitely find Gawain.”

“Nnn…” Lucca softly answered.

At the same time… A bolt struck out deep into the evening sky followed by the roaring sound of thunder.

“Kyaa!”

The first person to scream was Silvia.

Ash made a sympathetic smile. Although, under Veronica’s training, she had become stronger, she was still a coward.

But this mildly amusing situation was immediately interrupted by Eco.

“…Just like that time.”

Eco was looking at the sky with her sharp eyes.

Lancelot had also assumed it's alert posture and was growling with a "Grrrrrr…."

In the blink of an eye… Dark clouds had almost entirely filled the sky.

“Are you saying about the time when the Necromancia attacks…?”

Eco nodded while answering seriously.

“That’s right. This bad feeling… I can't be wrong about it!”

At this time the earth started and kept on shaking.

Ash nearly fell because of the strong continuous shaking. He already had a hard time to keeping balanced.

“Kyaa!”

But the other girl that fell in his direction had dragged him down together with her.

The girl who fell into his chest was Eco. Silvia, who already wouldn’t let go of his right arm, and also Lucca was tightly clinging onto his left arm. Even under this type of situation… Ash couldn’t enjoy it not one bit.

“Urgh-!”

His whole body was in pain. The rest had forgotten that Ash was a serious patient that had been advised by the doctor to have a sufficient amount of rest.

“S-Sorry! Are you alright?”

“S…orry!”

“It’s all because of me…”

Silvia, Lucca and Eco immediately apologized.

“Don’t worry… I’m alright.”

Ash didn’t want the others to worry about him and squeeze out a smile. But, his smile doesn’t look natural and he prayed that the dark sky can provide some cover for him.

After the earthquake stopped… Ash stood up.

“Fhuss…”

A sound as if it was laughing at Ash stubbornness was heard.

“-!”

One by one… A scary sight appeared from the dark corner of the mausoleum. They were not humans. Although they looked like dragons, they didn’t have the holy feelings that the dragons emit.

“Necromancia!”

At the same time that Eco warned the others… Something rushed out from the mausoleum.

Something that was bigger than a horse but too small compared to a dragon. Alas, there wasn't only just one, there were a bunch of them.

There were around five of them and each of them looked like a young Asia. Their bodies were black and have mad eyes, sharp teeth and a strong rotten smell.

“A young dragon sized… Necromancia?”

Just as Ash was speaking his thoughts… The leader of the Necromancia's attacked. After its mouth opened, shining rays could be seen- ''Don!'' And a ball of flames came flying along the ground.

Lancelot made a scary roar and activated its defensive magic’s shield and immediately the breath attack was nullified.

But there is no time to thank Lancelot.

The group had already extended their many deep red coloured tentacles now and they were getting nearer.

Silvia became the first victim.

“Kyaa!”

“Princess!”

Although Ash immediately stretched out his hand, he still missed. The slimy and sticky tentacles wrapped around Silvia’s thin body and hoisted her up into the air.
[[Image:SnRK V03 225.jpg|thumb|The slimy and sticky tentacles wrapped around Silvia’s thin body and hoisted her up into the air.]]

“I-Insolent fools! How dare you touch the Royal Knight’s family’s Princess...!”

Too bad they were not someone that could be communicated with language.

Although Silvia struggled… The more she struggle the harder the tentacles grip became. In very little time more than half of her dragsuit was torn off and the buttons had come loose.

“S-Stop! Stop this insolent behavior...! Ahh... Stoooop!”

Silvia’s scream could be heard all over.

“Eco. Hand me the Ark quick!”

Eco angrily rejected Ash’s request.

“No way! You are still a patient! The Ark will burden your body-”

“Is this a time to worry about those things! Princess is in danger right now!”

“B-But...”

Compared to Eco, who stood still, Lancelot had started to make his move.

To save its master, it had used the red flaming dragon breath.

''-Don!''

That was a true breath and wasn't comparable to flames created by an Oracle. The unimaginable destructive force had turned the five Necromancia blocking the entrance into fire balls.

“Grrrroooorrrr!”

The five Necromancias who were on fire roared in agony and changed their target to Ash and the rest. But Lancelot gave a final flaming breath which further turned the Necromancia into ashes.

Although they were young dragons there were no difference from the hardiness of a regular Necromancia. As the tentacles snapped, Silvia was caught by Lancelot as she was falling.

“Huff... Puff... Thank you! Lancelot.”

Ash gave a sigh of relieve when he saw Silvia was safe. But he immediately heard Lucca screaming.

“That...!”

Lucca was standing by the cliff and was looking at the direction to the lakeside. No, it was actually towards Norg Forest.

“Anything?”

“The forest... Was polluted...”

Lucca, as an Eckbald, was sensitive to the changes in the forest.

Ash looked towards the direction she was looking at and he was dumbstruck.

''-Dodododododo....''

The forest was shaking and the feeling was like a group of Asia’s running. The wild birds and small animals were shocked and their sound could be heard one after another.

Judging from Lucca’s sense of ‘Polluted…’ The Asia type Necromancia could be on the move in the forest.

It seems that apart from the main door… There were other options that the Necromancias came out from.

“Ash, quickly, look at the lakeside!”

Silvia was shouting on Lancelot’s back while pointing to the lakeside.

“Could it be that... Those were also Necromancia?”

Ash clenched his trembling fist. The black shapes were moving around the dark lake. Thanks to the campfire at the lakeside he can somehow make out their shadows.

Those must be the Hydra type Necromancia. The total amount should be around twenty... No, it seems that, it was around thirty. They were moving towards the campfire by the lakeside.

“They are also at the sky!”

This time it was Eco who was pointing at the sky. A group of Strada type Necromancia, while making some weird type of bird noises, were circling around the sky. They seemed to ignore Ash and the rest and were heading towards the campsite...

“So I see... Their target is to attack the training camp!”

Ash angrily clenched his fists on both hands.

“Damn... Even when the students there were top students, the only ones who had experience in dealing with Necromancia were Max and Rebecca. Are they going to be alright?"

“Ash, now is not the time to worry about the others. We can only trust the president to protect the training camp.”

Silvia’s calm voice dragged Ash back to reality.

She focused her sight onto the entrance of the mausoleum.

“That’s...!”

Ash turned speechless.

A second batch of Asia type Necromancia had rushed out and there were six of them this time.

“Grrrr...”

Lancelot with a growl and a breath attack exploded over them turning three of the leading Necromancia into ashes.

At this moment, the deep red coloured tentacles rushed forward. However, Lancelot was not intimidated by them. It stood up, with its hind legs supporting its body, and slashed the Necromancia with its hammer like front legs. The sharp claws made a screeching sound and the tentacles were torn up like knives slicing rubber bands.

The scene could only be described as 'dead bodies everywhere.'

In only a few minutes the second batch of Asia type Necromancia were totally wiped out.

“S-Strong...!”

Lancelot’s heroic fight amazed Ash while Silvia’s dragon controlling skill had also improved significantly.

Silvia looked down towards the rest of the gang with a skillful look.

“Ride on Lancelot! Quickly, we are going into the mausoleum.”

===Part 20===
[[Image:SnRK V03 006-007.jpg|thumb|''... Rebecca is just too great. Jessica, who led the group of Hydras, was muttering while looking at Cú Chulainn who was flying above in the night sky.'']]
“All of you here had gone through the five days Selective Training Camp! Your skills have improved significantly! You must have faith in yourself! Your skills are far better than what you had imagined!”

Under Rebecca’s command the students had mounted their pals.

The Stradas were flying, the Asias were on their way to Norg Forest and the Hydras gathered at Allonnes Lake. Their strategy––An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

“... Rebecca is just too great.”

Jessica, who led the group of Hydras, was muttering while looking at Cú Chulainn who was flying above in the night sky.

===Part 21===
Rebecca was standing at the high end of Cú Chulainn’s neck. She was already in her Ark. The enormous amount of magic was surrounding her entire body. Max was acting as her second in command riding behind her on Arianrhod.

Not long before… The students were happily enjoying the cozzy atmosphere around the closing ceremony’s campfire.

But the Necromancias attacking from three directions, which were land, water and air, had drastically changed the mood. Just like heaven and hell the students were all in a panic, but thanks to Rebecca the tables had turned. Just a simple talk from Rebecca had given them the courage to fight.

Now, not only were the students not in any fear, they even trembled in excitement.

A huge amount of Necromancias were approaching.

There was only about a hundred meters in between them.

"Appear! The certain hit magic spear! Gáe Bolg!"

Rebecca naturally led the attack.

“Gáe Bolg!”

A bright light appeared after the spell had ended and a long spear appeared. Gáe Bolg’s light pierced through the dark sky followed by an explosion. One by one the Strada type Necromancia fell to the ground.

“Attack!”

Rebecca commanded like a general.

''“Oooooo!”''

Upon receiving the order… All the students attacked at the same time.

===Part 22===
Dim white lights were emitted from Lancelot’s horn.

This was a basic magic for the dragons. Thus, Ash and the rest didn’t have to rely on the bright-dragon-crystal torch while traversing the cave. Lancelot was walking forward silently and steadily through the cave. Its usual earth shaking footsteps almost couldn't be felt.

This had lessened the amount of burden that Ash’s, medically weak, body had to endure.

“Thank you. Princess.”

Silvia was surprised that Ash spoke behind her ears and her neck suddenly gave a jerk.

Because her hair was tied up with a red ribbon her white neck was exposed.

“Why are you acting with such ambiguity! I had done nothing that deserves your thanks!”

“You were worried about me and purposely asked Lancelot to slow down. Right? So…”

“I-I had never thought that far! How can we move quickly in this narrow space!”

Ash gave a wry smile. Silvia was shy about it. For such a great dragon like Lancelot… To move quickly in such a narrow space is but child’s play.

“-Careful!”

Silvia suddenly shouted.

“Ksharrrr!”

Three Strada type Necromancia attacked from the front. They looked more like bats than dragons.

Even though they were once noble dragons in their own time, after they became Necromancia, they were no different from any undistinguished animal.

Ash tensed. The next second...

“Grooooo….!”

Lancelot gave an angry roar… Along the path, where the brilliant dragon stepped passed, there were only ashes left behind.

“Such excellence.”

Upon hearing Ash’s murmur… Silvia proudly lifted her chest.

“Hmph… During your time spent recovering… I had completed every single course in the Selective Training Camp. The days when I did battle stimulations with the president was every day… I felt like crying when I said that."

What Silvia said felt like a sad tone hidden in it. She seemed to experience something terrible. Ash who had only experienced the first day’s sea water bath was regretting. 

But… The main reason Silvia became strong was mainly because of Princess Veronica’s encouragement.

If Veronica hadn’t visited Ansarivan last week… Silvia may not have turned over a new leaf.

“Back to the topic. Why haven’t we seen Angela-sensei yet?... I'm hoping she wasn’t attacked by the Necromancia.”

Silvia sighed while looking at the mausoleum’s map.

“We also haven’t found Gawain yet… Lucca. Have you felt anything?”

“I can’t… Because the Astral was not connected… My ‘Seikoku’ was not responding."

Sinca Lucca couldn’t feel anything; They could only ransack the entire cave. Although it will be a tiresome job, just by only imagining it, it was still an emergency.

“Another thing… Eco. There is something that I must tell you first hand.”

Ash was looking at Eco through his shoulders.

“Anything?”

Eco who was clinging tightly at Ash’s back lifted her head while feeling annoyed.

“The next time I ask you to hand me the Ark… Please do so immediately. Any doubt at that moment could make you regret for your whole life.”

“Wha…!”

Eco immediately explode. She kept on hitting Ash with her fist.

“I won’t allow you to order me! Be careful or I’ll trample you!”

Although the way she was hitting was more like emotionally pouting… The strength that she put in still made him suffer.

“I-It hurts! S-Stop hitting me!”

“Have you forgotten that you are still a patient! Even though those were temporally made mimic-Arks they still burden your body!”

Although she said it angrily… She was still concerned about Ash. The way she thinks made Ash happy but the situation right now was an emergency and maybe the mastermind was still somewhere in this mausoleum.

“If not… Could you create an Ark that doesn’t cause much burden to the body?”

“What did you say?”

“Please, I believed that you are able to make an Ark that was suitable for my current situation.”

“H-How… Could you speak with such confidence!”

“Do you even need to ask? Because Eco is my excellent pal!”

“…!”

It was possible that she was moved by Ash… Eco was speechless and blushed.

“Alright… B-But, during the time I’m in the dragon workshop, my body…”

Ash immediately knew what she was going to say.

Only a spirit can enter the dragon workshop and the true body will be left in this world.

When the spirit left the body the empty shell will be defenceless.

“Worry not. I’ll protect your body.”

Ash loosened his grip on Silvia’s waist and carefully switched places with Eco while trying not to fall off from Lancelot.

“Ash…?”

Eco was dumbstruck and turned around to look at Ash.

Ash then hugged Eco’s waist tightly.

“Wha-W-Wha…!”

Eco’s shoulders twisted for one moment and her body had become log like.

Her ears hidden in her hairs were red.

As if hot air is going to burst out anytime.

“I-If you don’t hold on to me tightly… You better watch out!” Eco said angrily

After that she relaxed and rested her back up against Ash’s chest. He could smell the fragrance of her shampoo.

The next moment Eco’s body went limp and was like a puppet whose strings had snapped. She loses her strength and lays her head on Ash’s right shoulder.

Ash had felt that her spirit had left her body.

“Our hopes are on you… Eco.”

Ash murmur was like praying as he held on tightly to Eco’s limp body.

===Part 23===
“Huh?”

Silvia immediately stopped Lancelot when they arrived at a large cavern.

It doesn’t look like a place that has Necromancia.

Lancelot increased the light intensity of its horns to brighten the extra space.

Silvia was holding the reins with her right hand and was checking the map with her left.

“According to this map… This should be the centre of the mausoleum.”

“Centre...”

Ash was holding on to Eco who was still unconscious tightly while looking around.

Silvia turned back and was secretly looking at Ash’s face.

“...”

Just to make a new Ark for Ash, Eco had went to the dragon workshop. Ash kept on holding to her petite body tightly for some time.

Of course the reason Ash did so was to prevent Eco from falling off from Lancelot... But Silvia had been jumpy since and couldn’t remain completely calm.

''-Damn, what am I getting nervous about!''

Silvia had reaffirmed herself and was looking around her surrounding carefully.

The size of the space was about the size of the academy’s lecture hall. The cavern ceiling was extremely high estimated at about fifteen meters. There were a lot of winged-cross shaped tombstones all around on the floor.

All the tombstones were at least five meters in height. The winged cross in the middle was far bigger than the rest. Its height almost touched the stone ceiling. Is there a powerful dragon buried there?

Too bad they still haven’t found Angela and Gawain. Logically speaking, this large empty space, located in the middle of the entire mausoleum, should be the place with the highest probability of finding them...

After Silvia gave a long sigh Ash said to her:

“Princess. Look up at the ceiling.”

“-Huh?”

Silvia’s eyes widened. There was a volcano like hole in the middle of the ceiling and the night sky could be seen from within. Before they had entered the mausoleum… Eco had described this dark sky as a ‘bad feeling’.

On a clear night there would have been moonlight shining through that hole to create a dreamy situation.

“Grrrrr...”

Lancelot suddenly lifted its neck and gave a warning growl.

It was staring intensely at the hole above.

“What’s it. Lancelot?”

Just when Silvia asked in surprised-

“We meet again. Shounen.” <ref>Shounen-Teenage boy.</ref>

A guy’s voice could be heard from above. A tall and thin person stood at the edge of the hole.

“You’re... Milgauss!”

Ash's sudden gasp could even be felt by Silvia.

Lancelot maneuvered so that his horn's light illuminated the scene above.

A lone guy wearing a mask appeared pale white in colour under the light. Silvia had also read the report book and immediately knew who he was.

“The ruffian who was called Milgauss! Who knew that I would meet you here! I, under the name of Lautreamont’s Royal Knight’s family, will punish you in the name of god!”

Even while facing Silvia, who was excited and indignant, Milgauss only replied with a laugh.

“Hmph... Come on… Even Veronica Lautreamont, who was a top warrior, wasn't even chosen to be a breeder... And yet a coward like you was chosen.”

“What... Did you say?”

The way Milgauss speaks, as if he knew a lot of her background in formations, made Silvia felt uneasy.

“Are you alright. Princess?”

Ash asked from behind.

“N-No... Nothing.”

Silvia’s mind was already in a mess even when she said so.

''-What is this feeling? That guy called Milgauss... Even though this is the first time I met him, but, he felt familiar. Why would I feel this way?''

“Princess? You... Are crying?”

“Huh!?”

Ash’s words woke her up.

She had only just found out that her tears already started falling.

“This... Why would I...?”

Even Silvia didn’t know why she cried. But, if she even glances at Milgaus, her heart will tighten.

Milgauss suddenly gave a smile.

A smile of a father who cares about his child. A peaceful and caring smile.

“You had grown… Sylvie.”

“Wha-!”

Silvia felt a cold chill.

No matter how wide is the world… The only ones who would call her by her pet name will be family members. Not only that… His suddenly gentle voice had caused her to recall forgotten memories.

''-Onii-sama! Julius onii-sama!''

''-Haha, Silvia, you pampered child.''

''-It’s because... Onii-sama kept on talking to Glenn-dono and had forgotten about me!''

Her childhood memories resurfaced in her mind.

How is this possible.

-‘Dragon Slayer’.

Brother Julius had committed such a serious offense and had been punished. Silvia was only five during that time.

In Lautreamont Knight Country… Killing a dragon is the utmost offense. Even if it was the prince of the Knight’s royal family… He will still be punished. To make it worse… The dragon that Julius killed was his pal… Maestro Mordred.

Julius was already dead.

But... Milgauss had the same feel as Julius with every movement he made.

At this moment Lancelot had again given a warning growl. As if it was trying to tell Silvia to raise her guard.

“Could it be...!”

Silvia had also felt that something was very wrong.

The ground was slightly shaking.

''-Something was hidden in the ground!''

“Kuku... Up to what extent Lancelot can fight is something worth seeing. Or is it that… The guy over there will come out with some weird tactics?”

“Urgh...”

Ash kept silent.

Eco had remained silent and had yet to wake up. Silvia also couldn’t predict the amount of time needed for Eco to create a new Ark.

Milgauss, as if he saw through Ash’s Achilles heel, gave an expression of ridicule.

“But, judging by Avalon’s Princess behavior, I believe that you won’t be able to come up with anything unusual. No?”

“Avalon’s Princess? Why would you also know about-” Ash was obviously shaken.

''Avalon- This word was suspected to originate from the ancient language.'' Silvia doesn’t know what that means. ''Anyway… what’s this about a princess?''

''-No... This isn't the time to worry about those things...''

Silvia cleared her mind and focused on the current situation.

“Let me tell you, the dragons buried in this mausoleum were but young dragons! Even after they became Necromancia… They are still no match for my Lancelot!”

Silvia declared but Milgauss was not even bothered by it.

“Is it so? I had sent most of them to the training campsite. Those Necromancias that you had beaten were small fries. Also… The dragons buried here were Maestros in their past life.”

As if to answer Milgauss's words… The ground split into two. The enormously loud sound was echoing around the cave while the large tombstone followed it by falling to the ground.

A huge object could be seen appearing from beneath.

“Roarrrrr...!”

A roar, as if it had arisen from hell, followed and their fight with Lancelot had started.

Strong wing. Thick jaws and sharps horns…

Apart from their dark skin… They have the looks of a maestro.

“Kuku... Let me tell you! Its name is Nuada!”

Upon hearing this… Silvia was stunned.

“A tragedy that every citizen of the Knight Country knew. You should had heard about it before, right? It is the dragon who loves its master and chose to commit suicide-”

===Part 24===
“Have you gotten everything that I had said, Navi?”

Eco was having a conversation in the dragon workshop.

Navi, as usual, was wearing an evening dress while sitting on an antique chair.

“The Ark that suits his current condition most…? Hehe. This is interesting.”

Her mature version of Eco’s look was as beautiful as usual. Perhaps it was because of this… Eco hated this woman very much. Even after saying that to herself… Right now she must focus on the main situation.

“I don’t have much time. Can you replace my job for the restructuring process?”

“Ara. Why do you even need my help?”

Navi impishly smiled.

“Do I even have a choice! Even though I don’t like it... You are still more knowledgeable than me... And I expect that you could come out with a better result compared to me."

“Your judgment is correct. We are like two faces on a coin. If you are the person who lives in the outer world then I am the person who lives in the inner world. Of course I will help you.”

“So you have agreed to help me?”

“As long as you promise me one thing.”

“Promise? What do you want me to do?”

“You must promise me that, one day, you will present an Ark to Ash Blake. It must not be a mimic but a top rate piece of work that you had created.”

“W-What are you talking about! How could I agree to this!”

“Ara. Have you already given up before you even challenged it?”

“B-Because... To present the Ark to him also means…”

Navi smiled.

“That’s right. You are going to give him your everything.”

“How could I…”

Eco was speechless. Her whole body was hot as if it was burning. To give her everything to Ash, just by thinking about it, Eco was already very embarrassed about it.

“Are you willing to agree to my condition? Or not?”

“Urgh...”

Navi’s provocation made her mad but… It takes time to do the review. Since there were more than a thousand Ark blueprints left by her ancestral legacy…

To do the review is to search amongst all the various parts, or component blueprints, and identify those that suit Ash the most.

She will be fine, if just that were so, but… There was this ‘not to burden Ash’s body’ rule this time.

This is much more difficult than the ‘ice element’ that Ask asked for during the church terrorist incident.

Strictly speaking. Eco didn’t even know if there was even one Ark that doesn’t overly burden the person wearing it. So this problem had nothing to do with time and she can only rely on Navi’s knowledge.

“...Alright. I promise.”

After Eco had made her mental preparations… Navi smiled and the place suddenly was filled with soothing bright lights.

At the same time, there were many blueprints moving about Navi’s field of view. Those were the various Ark designs that the dragons, over the ages, left behind.

Navi, with her glossy and watery lips, begins to sing out the name of each part of the new Ark-

''“Almete, Gorjal, Peto, Espaldar, Brafoneras, Faldaje, Escarcelas, Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales, Codales, Antebrazos, Manoplas, Quijotes, Guardas, Grebas, Escarpes, Espolón.”''

Eco was speechless.

A few thousands of those blueprints were spinning around on Navi’s head. Those that were determined as unnecessary disappear immediately and whats left over are the ones that are important.

“W-What a fast searching speed...” Eco was stunned…

At that moment all the blueprints, that were flying around Navi’s head, vanished.

The lights that filled the dragon workshop had also disappeared. Navi slowly stood up from the chair and walked towards Eco.

“W-What is it...?’

Navi was too beautiful to look at and she unconsciously took a step backwards. Navi playfully smiled and placed her palm on Eco’s head.

“This is...!”

Eco felt a cold chill. An enormous amount of information entered her brain from Navi’s palm. But half way through the process… It was interrupted.

“W-Why?”

“...He was facing great danger.”

Navi was looking at the three dimension projected screen in mid-air with a serious expression.

“Then be quick!” Eco cried.

“It seems that we must act quickly.”

Navi again placed her palm on Eco’s head and retransferred the information.

===Part 25===
“Is it really Nuada…!”

Ash shouted but he was immediately back to his calm self.

That's right! The problem is not whether it is Nuada or not. The main point is; This Necromancia is a Maestro.

Also, the Necromancia revived from the ground was not only Nuada alone. The tombstones around also fell to the ground one by one. A total of nine Asia type Necromancia crawled out from the ground.

“Princess. It is better that we retreat for the time being-”

After giving a glance at the passage behind, Ash calmly made the suggestion.

The escape path was not yet blocked by the enemies. To fight in this open space, the enemies will surely attack from all directions. It will be a tough battle even though Lancelot is strong.

But if they retreat to the narrow passage, the enemies will be forced to come at them in a line. They may have a chance in winning like this.

“No!” Silvia stubbornly disagreed with retreat.

She was so angry that her hands, while holding the reins, were trembling.

“Milgauss… Do you know what you had done! You… You've stained Nuada’s spirit, and that you should never have done!”

“P-Princess…?”

Ash was at a loss when he looked at Silvia being angry.

Silvia had obviously believed what Milgauss had said. She probably had the experience of crying after hearing Nuada’s story in her childhood.

At this moment Lucca, who had remained silent the whole time, cried out.

“I also… Will never forgive that person!”

It is easy to understand how she felt. Because Gawain had followed in Nuada’s footsteps and had disappeared for Lucca's sake. Her emotional reaction was probably founded on this.

Ash was worried about the current situation.

“Young dragon Nuada! I swear, in the name of the Lautreamont Royal Knight's Family, I will defeat you! This is the only thing that I can do for you!”

In reply, to Silvia’s sworn oath, Lancelot roared with a high pitch and immediately attacked Nuada. It stood on its hind legs and piled on attacks with its front. Upon seeing this Nuada also stood up and defended with its front legs.

The two ferocious dragon began a battle between titans.

All of a sudden… Nuada opened its lower jaw and blew out some black gas. It was almost a zero range, point blank, attack…

“Urgh…!”

Ash felt something was wrong and he hugged Eco tightly to protect her. He was angry at his useless self who couldn’t do anything.

Lancelot also remained strong. Just before Nuada’s breath attack exploded it triggered its own defensive magic.

-The sound of explosions kept shaking their ears.

The explosions were reflected back to Nuada, who was too close to the defensive magic, and immediately more explosions were heard. Lancelot's defensive magic was extremely sturdy and Ash only felt a slight vibration.

“Great…!”

Right until now… Ash had kept his eyes open. Half of Nuada’s head had disappeared and its grey coloured brain could be seen. Even though it seems to be defeated it is still a Necromancia. The organs that were destroyed were immediately regenerated and soon it was back to its original state.

Lancelot’s heroic roar and Nuada’s creepy scream shook the air around them.

Just when the two resumed fighting, with all their strength, there was a groan coming from Ash’s back.

“Eek… Stop!”

“Lucca?”

Lucca, who was sitting on Lancelot’s tail, was dragged off by another Asia type Necromancia. Its tentacles can be seen clinging to Lucca’s body.

Lucca who was hanging upside down was struggling both in pain and tears.

“D-Don’t… Touch anyplace weird…!”

Just like tempting ants with sugar a large group of Asia type Necromancias were approaching Lucca. Their tentacles were already tearing off Lucca’s dragsuit.

The iron made gloves and knee guards was forcefully pulled off and fell to the ground. The leather belt was tore into pieces and even her skirt was torn off.

“Damn…!”

The moment Ash shouted, taking advantage of Ash focusing his attention on Lucca, a tentacle attacked. It had already surrounded Eco’s waist and was so strong that Ash quickly lost-out to it in terms of strength.

“Eco…!!”

Just like Lucca, Eco was now hanging in mid-air. Eco had lost consciousness earlier and couldn’t even struggle like Lucca.

Silvia was having trouble just by controlling Lancelot. She didn’t have the time to worry about the danger that Eco and Lucca were facing.

Ash clenched his teeth and leaped off Lancelot’s back. Even though he knew this was like committing suicide… He still couldn’t control this sudden impulse.

“Let your dirty paws go!…”

Ash picked up a stone and threw at the Asia type Necromancia.

But throwing stones at dragon is like throwing stones at the moon. It easily bounced off from the black skin.

“Urgh…”

To make it worse… Ash’s body was in pain.

Even though he was not attacked his body was still giving him warnings.

“R-Right now out of all times…!”

After Ash cursed, he kneeled on one side of his knees.

He was sweating cold sweat.

His head, organs and joints were shrieking in tremendous agony. He felt like rolling up and screaming in pain. ''But, I mustn't… I mustn’t be defeated in a place like this-!''

Ash, who's eyes filled with sweat, saw Eco being dragged away right in front of him.

“Ecoooooo!”

Ash screams in desperation.

At that moment… Eco, who was nearly sucked into the Necromancia’s body, opened her eyes.

“W-What? What's this situation!”

After she saw Ash was on the ground in a ball like posture, Eco looked around at her surrounding.

“Eco! Give me the Ark!”

“Hmph! Without me… You are useless!”

Eco can be seen smiling happily-

And she only shouted the only word of that long spell:

''“Espolón!”''

===Part 26===
Milgauss, who was standing at the top of the hill watching the fight, had seen it all.

The cave was filled with white lights.

At that moment, the Holy Ark emerged in the middle of the lights and was on Ash’s body. The new Ark is a striking white coloured armour with red stripes. A red striped white Ark!

Ash is now an Ark-Dragner.

This armour was stronger than what Milgauss saw at Ansarivan. This increases his interest in it.

The areas in which it became stronger were in defence and not offense.

“Hmph. Using the old remains and combining them into an emergency armour? Wouldn’t expect less from the Avalon’s Princess…”

''Anya’s report had stated that Ash suffered serious injuries. This armour should be the best fit for him.''

“Back to the topic…”

Milgauss was surprised that Eco completed the spell with only a word. Perhaps she had finished the rest in the dragon workshop.

Because Eco wanted to create the Ark at the same time she woke up so she had finished most of the spell before she came back.

If that’s not the case… Eco would be eaten by the Necromancia before she can even manage to finish naming all the parts of the Ark. Milgauss wanted to praise this enemy.

“As I thought… Is it fate that we have to continue the fight from the past generations? Kuku… There is nothing bad about it and yet also nothing good about it.”

Milgauss frightfully laughs.

He was fully immersed in his laughter… A laughter that came out from the very depths of his throat.

===Part 27===
The moment he donned the Ark… Ash stood up straight.

The unbearable pain had disappeared and it felt like he had grown wings.

The thickness of the Ark felt thicker than the first two Arks and it looked more like a ball overall. He felt safe just by wearing it.

But now is not the time to enjoy that safe feeling.

Ash locked on to the Necromancia in front of him and jumped towards it.

He first punched the Necromancia that had captured Eco with his Manoplas.

Next… He kicked the monster that captured Lucca with his Escarpes.

The massive amount of magic, contained in the red striped white Ark, exploded and the two dragons crumbled into ash and effectively disappeared..

“Ouch-!”

Ash groaned.

Even though the Ark had the effect of absorbing most of the repulsive force. It's still reckless for him to engage in hand to hand combat with Necromancia.

The pain in his bones made him struggle. It also seems that the Ark couldn’t totally suppress his pain. But he mustn’t back down in this situation.

“Kyaaaa!”

The moment the tentacles disappeared… Eco and Lucca fell from mid-air.

Ash immediately slide towards the bottom of the two. He had managed to secure both of them right before they impacted on the ground… The entire process spanned less than two seconds.

“Are both of you alright?”

Ash helped them to stand up. Lucca instantly nodded her head in reply but Eco on the other hand was quite verbally angry...

“What the hell is wrong with you! That Ark only strengthens the ‘defence’! It is not for you to use it for punching and kicking!”

“S-Sorry...”

Ash initially was intimidated by Eco and apologized. But without delay he changed his mind:

“Now is not the time to worry about those things. No? Of course I’m trying to save you!”

But the current situation doesn’t allow Ash to explain anymore than that.

“…Here it comes.”

Ash was dragged back into reality by Lucca’s warning and immediately put up a fighting posture.

The fight between Lancelot and Nuada was still in a stalemate. On the other hand… The remaining seven Asia type Necromancias were still trying to attack the trio. The stench of the rotting smell had suddenly became stronger.

Eco angrily ordered.

“This Ark was not made so you can fool around with it! Use the Ark Weapon immediately!”

“Understood!”

Ash focused his mind and attention to the Ark.

The information regarding the Ark Weapon, that came together with the Ark, was sent into his mind.

After receiving that information Ash smiled.

“Appear… The invincible magic shield!”

There was a flash followed together with the spell.

The space in front of Ash started to bend and there was a crack. The, as yet unknown, Ark Weapon appeared slowly from the crack.

''“Aegis!”'' <ref>A shield from the Greek mythology.</ref>

The same time Ash shouted its name… The Aegis shields appeared.

Aegis’s outside front looked like a dragon’s head. There were all together five units that made up this shield. All of the five units were flying around under Ash’s command. When they had surrounded the Asia type Necromancias… The shields then projected colourful lights.

These units were not normal shields. They all have the characteristics of a magic cannon.

The continuous lights that were attacking the Asia type Necromancias were like spider webs.

Not only that… There were some unexpected weird changes on the Necromancia that were directly struck by the lights. In a very short time, they had become stones .

Aegis was not releasing the usual degree of attacking type magic.

That was a high level magic that, upon coming into contact with the light, turned living things into stone . Even though it is from one of the dangerous areas of magic, named in the list of banned spells by the Knight Country, now is not the time to act like a good model citizen.

In just a few seconds time all seven Necromancias had turned into stones. Ash breathed a sigh relief and withdrew Aegis’s magic.

“Thank you, Eco.”

“N-Nothing… And I’m not even doing this for you.”

Eco turned her face aside but her face was definitely blushing. Ash gave a dry smile but now is still not the time to lower their guard.

Anyway... Silvia was piloting Lancelot with all her skill as they fought Nuada one on one. It was a situation where both of their front legs were interlocked somewhat like in a wrestling match. For attacks each of them use magic and tail swipes for advantage.

“Princess! I’ll be there to help you in a short moment!”

Ash who was prepared to help had met a blank wall.

“I don’t need any help! Go and capture Milgauss! Lancelot and I will calm down Nuada’s spirit.”

Silvia’s talk made Ash speechless.

Silvia was really angry. Even so… she still hasn’t lost her cool. She had sworn to defeat Nuada in the name of the Royal Knight’s Family and perhaps she truly thought that this is her mission.

“Roger that! Princess I’ll leave it in your hands!”

After Ash shouted back to Silvia he started running.

Right in front of him was Nuada’s tombstone. The tip of the slanting winged cross was pointing at the hole of the ceiling. Milgauss was still standing at the side of the hole looking down.

Ash jumped towards the sky along the side of the winged cross and stepped on the middle of it, gave himself a hop, landing on the tip of the wing and continued to jump up from there. With the aid of the Ark… Ash accomplished a jump that a normal human can’t do.

His body passed up and through the hole of the ceiling.

The misty air of the inner part of the cave had suddenly become replaced by the fresh and cool nighttime air.

However… The air is very cold and it doesn’t seem like summer anymore.

At the top of the nearby hills there are many stubs of bare rock.

Luckily, although the surroundings are dark, the Ark produces a dim light. Also, since he had been in the dark cave for a long time, his eyes are already used to the darkness.

“Milgauss!”

Ash started a fight with Milgauss. Although Eco was mad about it he still chose to use hand to hand combat which is the easiest.

He remembered the time when he met Milgauss for the first time in the forest.

Ash didn’t even have the ability to fight back during that time. Because, before he managed to land a hit on Milgauss, Ash was ambushed by Milgauss's underling. He was nearly killed by that girl.

But the situation right now is different. Ash was protected by Eco’s Ark and he had decided to KO his opponent in one hit.

But-

With only his left hand Milgauss, had blocked Ash’s right punch. He had focused all his strength in that punch too.

“How is this possible…?”

“Hmph. Is the strength of an Ark-Dragner just like this?”

“Urgh…”

He can’t move his right hand at all. It is similar to being clenched by a pair of pliers.

“This proves that you are just a fake.”

Milgauss tone was as cold as iron.

There was a gigantic sword in his right hand.

“Wha…!”

Ash widened his eyes in disbelief. It is as if the sword was made out of darkness. The large bright-dragon-crystals mounted on the hilt definitely proved it was not an ordinary sword.

“A fake like you has no right to touch me.”

-A flash from the black sword.

There is a sudden black gust. Ash, whose right hand is now handicapped, had nowhere to run to. He could only use the Manoplas on his left hand to protect himself.

As if a big hammer was hitting his head, the impact passed through his body in a short moment. The impact was so strong that even the Ark couldn’t endure it fully.

''“*Cough...*”''

“Where is your big talk just now?”

Milgauss let go of Ash’s right hand and then wielded the gigantic sword with both hands.

Then then lifted the sword brought it down all in one motion.

“Guak!”

The dark metal blade sunk into his abdomen. In that short moment… Ash felt that his waist was going to be chopped in two. Then the Ark made a ''‘click’'' sound. Even the Ark was groaning…

''“-Aegis!”''

Obviously, Milgauss was not an opponent for him to fight with in hand to hand combat. So Ash resummoned Aegis. The five units split out immediately and attacked Milgauss. As long as a light managed to hit him, he will then turn into a stone.

“Too slow!”

But Milgauss, with extraordinary nimble moves, avoided all the light rays. Then he swung the black sword at a lightning speed.

The units were being attacked and destroyed by a tornado-like slash. One after another they disappeared.

“What is he actually made of…!”

After Ash groaned, he was on his knees. The amount of magic collected in the Ark has a limit and Ash felt that the armour was slowly disappearing.

After Milgauss dealt with the five units his target had shifted once again to Ash. He gave Ash a kick without any delay. Even with the protection of the Ark, the impact was still transmitted into his abdomen.

''“*-Cough!*”''

Ash was out of breathe and was kicked around like a puppet. He finally landed hard, with his back facing the rocks.

Blood started flowing out from his mouth…

“Ku…”

Ash spit out saliva with blood in it and immediately hid behind the rock. The size of the rock is just enough to keep him hidden.

“Hmph. Are you trying to hide to drag out the time?”

Ash remained silent. He was sitting at the back of the rock waiting for a good moment. His body was in a mess and he probably had only one more chance…

''-Ssss, ssss…''

Milgauss was not buying any of his tricks and marched right towards Ash.

“Anything wrong right there? Can’t you use Aegis?”

''Milgauss was probably laughing his ass off right now''. Ash answered to himself while thinking of his disgusting face:

“Too bad. I’m out of magic…”

“Luck is not on your side today, shounen.”

Followed by a shout, there was an impact on the rock behind Ash.

===Part 28===
“Shoo. Shoo…!”

With the aid of the Ark, Ash easily jumped out through the ceiling’s hole but Eco wasn’t that lucky. She left Lancelot who was in a brutal fight with Nuada and climbed the huge winged cross.

“W-Wait for me…!”

Looking downwards, she saw Lucca was trying her best to cling onto the winged cross.

“Tsk… Just don’t blame me if you fall.”

Eco stepped on the wing of the winged cross without being bothered by Lucca. If she is not careful––she will definitely fall head down. Her current height was about ten meters. Although, she was frightened by it, she still needed to move forward.

Even though she felt guilty, about leaving Lucca, Eco still wanted to rush to Ash’s side as soon as possible.

The moment Eco saw the guy called Milgauss, she felt disgusted.

She remembered the nightmare that made her wet her bed.

Eco was attacked by a scary dragon in her dream.

It had nine eyes, numerous tentacles and was far scarier than a Necromancia…

The unbelievable thing was, the moment she saw Milgauss, the first thing that came into her mind was that dragon. It will be fine if she was just worrying too much… But just in case Eco’s instinct was right… Then Milgauss is a dangerous being. Eco couldn’t guarantee that the Ark has enough power to go against him.

Ash’s body condition also worried her.

Ash was, even in the beginning, a heavily injured patient. Logically speaking he should rest for a month, but…

But, even after she arrived at the location, apart from making the (mimic) Ark, there was nothing else she could do. It will not be surprising that she will be a burden.

Even so… Eco still couldn’t calm down her worrisome emotions and chose to climb the winged cross.

After some effort Eco finally arrived at the ceiling’s hole. She then took a look up, outside under the cloudy night sky.

“-Huh…?”

Eco had seen it all in that short moment.

Milgauss was holding a gigantic sword up high, looking like it had merged together with the night sky, and was going split open a rock.

Eco’s instinct told her that Ash was hiding behind the rock.

In an direct combat Ash was definitely out of his league. H was now going to be sliced open together with the rock by Milgauss…!

“Ash!”

Eco called out his name in desperation.

===Part 29===
''This blow will definitely crush the rock and Ash into pieces.'' Milgauss, who thought that he had a sure win, split open the rock in front of him.

The rock scattered into tiny fragments and powder.

A thick dust spread all over and blocked his sight.

After the explosion like power cooled down…

“What…?”

Milgauss remained in the exact posture of his finishing the blow.

After most of the dust falls, what was in front of Milgauss was not Ash’s body.

A unit in mid-air was pinning on to Milgauss.

A light was released from the front of the unit.

“Urgh…!”

Milgauss immediately lifted his left hand to block the light and also slashed the unit with his sword in his right hand. Although Aegis was reduced to light particles, and disappeared, its effect was still ongoing. Milgauss, who felt something was wrong, looked at his own body and saw his left arm starting to turn into stone.

“-Milgauss!”

Ash suddenly came down from the sky.

He had used the stone fragments as a screen and used an Aegis unit as a stepping stone to jump…

There was no longer an Ark on Ash. He probably used all his magic to summon the two units.

…Wait… He still has his Manoplas on his right hand!

“What an eyesore!”

Milgauss swung the black sword with only his right hand, but he had only manage to destroy the unit that Ash was stepping on.

“Uwooooo!”

Ash, who was experiencing free fall, uses the momentum and swings a punch with the Manoplas.

Milgauss immediately put up a defensive posture, with the huge sword above his head, but he still couldn’t avoid the powerful impact.

“Urgh…!’

Milgauss was knocked off together with his sword.

===Part 30===
“Huff, puff… How is this punch?”

At the same time Ash landed, his Manoplas disappeared. He next felt a terrible pain, as if his flesh was being sliced off.

But now is not the time for him to show his weak side. Even though Milgauss fell down hard on the ground, he still remains conscious. Ash could only try to bear with his pain.

“Hehe… Weren’t you out of magic?”

Milgauss, using the gigantic sword as a walking stick to support himself, slowly stood up. His left arm was hanging freely and lifelessly. It had been converted to stone.

“I didn’t say that I couldn’t summon Aegis again. It’s you who had been fooled. You had lost.”

“Hmph. I thought you were an idiot who only had strength. So it seems that you can actually do some scheming? But this can only be called as a trick and its still to much to call it a scheme."

After Milgauss made a haughty smile he seemed to remember something… He then pulled off his left arm and threw it to Ash.

“Wha…!”

Ash was staring at the left arm that landed on the ground.

“…Prosthetic arm?”

“That’s right. This is a creation of the Empire’s proud mechanical engineering.”

Ash was clenching his teeth. Ash is not only just a normal human without the protection of the Ark… He is also a seriously injured patient.

On the opposing side, Milgauss had only lost a prosthetic arm.

He was in a fix.

But- Just when Ash lost hope, there was a heroic voice coming from behind him.

“Listen carefully, Milgauss! I Silvia Lautreamont and Lancelot, have altogether defeated the young dragon Nuada’s spirit!”

Ash turned around to have a look and cheered happily.

“Princess! Lancelot!”

Nuada’s head was still in Lancelot’s mouth when it landed in between Ash and Milgauss. The only word that could describe its condition was 'terrible'. Its white skin had become dirty and full of blood.

Although injured… Lancelot’s blue eyes still looked as if they were full of spirit. Apart from Silvia, who was riding on its back, Eco and Lucca were also there.

Lancelot gave a menacing growl, while lowering down its neck, and placed Nuada’s head in front of Milgauss.

As if it wants Milgauss to apologize…

After Nuada’s severed head stared at Milgauss for a short moment, it turned into ashes. In the blink of an eye they were blown off by the nights breeze.

After Silvia witnessed the ashes being carried away by the wind she focused her attention back to Milgauss.

“…Princess?”

Ash knew something was wrong with her.

In this situation, winning was already in the grasp of their hand. No matter how strong Milgauss is, he will still face trouble when he is going against Silvia.

Logically speaking, Silvia should also know about this but she continued to stand still without any reasons.

“Hmph… It seems that I must change my opinion towards the Fourth Princess. I’ll withdraw for today.”

Milgauss placed the gigantic sword on his shoulder and slowly retreated.

“But the training campsite had already become a battle field. Just how many of them could survive? I would love to know…” Milgauss provoked.

After that, he jumped out into the night.

Surprisingly… He had jumped off the cliff.

Even so, from his previous battle experience with Milgauss, Ash knew that he is not just some average ordinary guy. He should have survived the fall.

And he will be back…

Just as if she had calculated the time, for Milgauss to withdraw, Silvia spoke:

“Thanks a lot, Lancelot. You may take your rest.”

Lancelot immediately bent its knees and lay down and, after closing its eyes, started to snore gently.

Silvia first climbed off its back then helped Eco and Lucca down from Lancelot.

“Is Lancelot alright?”

Ash worriedly looked at the sleeping Lancelot.

“Rest assured, it doesn’t have any vital injuries. It's just that… It has run out of magic. We only had the strength left to frighten Milgauss just now."

Ash only now knew why Silvia would let him escape. Because she didn’t even have the ability left to order him around. Back to the topic, if it was not because of Silvia’s and Lancelot’s intimidation, Ash would have died under Milgauss sword.

“And also, maybe… That guy…”

Silvia’s troubled looks made Ash curious.

“Princess?”

“N-Nothing. Just pretend that I didn’t say anything!”

Silvia, panicky, waved Ash off which in turns worried him further.

At this instant, Lucca said. “The training campsite is…”

Eco was also looking at the direction of the campsite dumbstruck.

“How come…!”

By following their sight… Ash also turned speechless.

Just like Milgauss declared, the training campsite had become a battlefield. The Necromancia's attack had yet to be stopped.

There were numerous sounds of explosions and the lights from the magic were flashing here and there. Although the campsite was safe, the dragon house beside was on fire and there were black smokes all over the night sky.

''Is everyone still alright? What about Rebecca? Max? And the rest? The instructors? The staffs for the training campsite? The girls who were in charge of the food service?''

“Damn… Even when we wanted to help them…”

Ash felt that he was filled with desperation.

''Apart from standing on the hills and looking from afar… We couldn’t even do a thing-''

As if to cheer him up, Lucca pulled Ash’s sleeves.

“I had a favor… To ask from you.”

As if she had made up her mind, Lucca was staring at Ash. Ash was troubled by it because her face was too close to his.

“W-What is it?”

Her Yōsei eyes were clear and shining even under the night sky.

Her eyes, full of determination, caused Ash to return her stare.

“Please… Come with me.”

“Why?”

“For Gawain and me… You had wagered your life for us. Just to let us feel the same like old times… If you are together with me… I think I could muster up some courage.”

“Could it be that you know a way to save everyone?”

Lucca extended her hand towards Ash.

“I want to save them… No, I must save them.”

Ash held Lucca’s palm as if he was going to be sucked in by the determination in her eyes.

Her body temperature was transmitted to Ash through her tiny leaf size like palm.

“Alright. I believe in you.”

After Ash answered with a steady tone Lucca smiled in embarrassment.

===Part 31===
Under the silent eyes of both Silvia and Eco Lucca and Ash move towards the edge of the cliff… Which was also the place where Milgauss jumped off from.

''Shoo… Shoo…'' The sounds of the winds pass through the darkness down below.

“Lucca…? What do you intend to do?”

Ash took a peek at Lucca’s face whilst being frightened.

“Jump down… From here.”

“J-Jump down-?”

Lucca didn’t answer. She just hurdled herself into Ash’s arms. Behind them there were immediate sounds of disparagement coming from both Silvia and Eco. There wasn't any time to worry about it.

Lucca placed her hands around Ash and hugged him as if she was hurting him on purpose. Although his organs were screaming in pain Ash still managed to bear with it. If he groaned in pain at this moment he will disappoint Lucca.

''Even so, what was Lucca actually thinking…?''

“We are going to jump.”

When her voice reaches Ash… He is already in mid-air.

Just like what she said, Lucca jumped down from the cliff.

And she was falling together with Ash-

The feeling of floating in mid-air only lasted for a second… Then both of them, gathering speed, fell in a straight line.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Whilst listening to the sound of the winds buzzing past his ear, Ash was swallowed into the dark abyss. He thought that he heard Eco’s and Silvia’s screams, for a short moment from far above, but the voices were soon lost.

===Part 32===
They kept on falling.

Ash and Lucca were hugging each other when they fall towards the bottom of the cliff.

Thinking back carefully… The same thing happened when Eco was born. It seems that he was fated for such things…

Suddenly he seemed to hear Lucca’s voice, somewhat obscured by the sound of the wind.

She seemed to be speaking to herself while huddling to Ash.

“Sorry… Gawain. I’ll never again be afraid of you.”

''Aah… So that's it.''

Ash finally understands Lucca’s determination. Just like Gawain's overprotection of Lucca, which had caused itself cut off its Astral, this time Lucca wagered her own life.

After Lucca hugged Ash tighter, she shouted loudly:

“Please accept me once more, Gawain!”

It is hard to believe that such a loud voice would come from such a petite girl. Her voice sounded so strong that it was enough to pierce through the night.

There was a glaring light coming from Lucca suddenly.

The golden rays started to surround her body.

“Could this be… Astral?”

Ash, who was still falling with Lucca, was stunned. He couldn’t believe that he could see Astral with mortal eyes.

“Quick… Suck them in Gawain! Taken my Astral… No, absorb me! You are my… Pal!”

The shout that she put her full effort in was echoing in the night.

Just before the voice disappeared-

There was an explosion around the hills near Willing Mausoleum. Gawain emerged from it while releasing a magic that brightened the night sky.

Ash's gaze was attracted to Gawain’s movement. With the Astral flow resumed he had totally recovered.

After Gawain gave a roar, that a young dragon couldn’t possible make, it carefully catches both Lucca and Ash with its back.

===Part 33===
“I have… Another request.”

“I’ll do anything, as long as it is in my range of ability.”

Ash replied loudly. Their priority is to save the students and Ash is willing to suffer any kind of pain for it. Lucca worriedly stated her request in a low voice.

“…I’m going to challenge the Dragon Riding Dance. So… I hoped you could hold on to me tightly.”

“No problem!”

Ash recalled what Navi had said.

That is the Eckbald’s traditional dance.

Because of Lucca’s failure while practicing the dance it had caused her to have problems when facing Gawain.

Ash was unable to imagine what kind of a dance is that, but he was mentally prepared.

Now he could only place his hopes on Lucca’s Dragon Riding Dance.

Ash hugged Lucca’s waist tightly with both of his hands.

“Is this alright?”

“…Tighter.”

“How about this?”

“Tighter.”

“Urgh…What about this?”

Lucca answered by nodding.

Suddenly, there was a clear metallic sound coming from Lucca’s leg. Her dragsuit was modified with standard spurs. Gawain received the signal, lifted its head high, roared and then rushed up into the sky.

===Part 34===
The Ark had disappeared after Rebecca annihilate a group of Strada type Necromancia with her magic spear, Gáe Bolg.

Rebecca reluctantly sighed. Cú Chulainn's magic was almost used up and could no longer maintain its flight. It landed beside the lake.

“Should we end it here-”

The training campsite, that acted as a temporary battle headquarters, was still fine, but the dragon house nearby was being swallowed by a great fire.

Both parties were still fighting by the lakeside.

Just like Cú Chulainn all the dragons had already used up their magic and many of the were fighting using only hand to hand combat in its true and brutal form.

Because their opponents were Necromancias they had extraordinary endurance. Every time they receive a fatal blow, they still continue to regenerate and stand back up.

This batch of students had been performing well in this fight and they were worthy to become the selected participants of this training camp.

But there was no end to the amount of enemies. Everyone was wondering how many dragons had been buried at the mausaleum while reinforcements for the enemy just kept on arriving.

Apart from that, Rebecca could no longer summon the power of an Ark-Dragner. This fact alone had lowered the students fighting moral.

“We don’t have any more choices left. Should we just give up on the training campsite… And retreat?”

Rebecca made the bitter decision. Everyone would be devastated to lose such a great traditional facility. The training campsite, at Allonnes Lakeside, is also a place with long history.

But she must prioritize the students’ lives. If they give up right now they still have the chance to retreat in one piece. ''Once the retreating path had been blocked off by the Necromancias…'' Rebecca felt a cold chill just by thinking about it.

Currently: three students were heavily injured, fifteen were slightly injured and seven dragons were also injured. Although they had not yet suffered any fatalities yet… Still, if they continued to hold on… The situation will become irreversible.

Rebecca made up her mind. She took a deep breath and was about to order the students to retreat...

Just at this moment… A flying object shot passed in the sky.

From the bright silver track left behind by its excessive magic––that must be a Maestro.

“Is it Lancelot?”

No. The tracks left behind by in its dance were obviously not accomplished by any ordinary Maestro. It was as if it took the sky as its own drawing space and spread its wings boldly while flying…

“Could that be… Gawain?”

===Part 35===
''-What type of dragon riding is this? This is the first time in my whole life I saw Dragner control their dragon using this method…!''

Under the effect of the strong centrifugal force Ash nearly lost his consciousness.

He felt as if he was suffering from anemia. He was already facing trouble just holding on to Lucca.

If he had been careless even for one moment… He would most probably be facing a watery grave right now.

The Eckbald’s Dragon Riding Dance couldn’t be reasoned with human knowledge.

A sharp corner turn.

A strong centrifugal force that could even rattle the brain.

The ruffeling sounds of the wind rushing beside his ears.

Although he also faced groups of Strada type Necromancia along his way Gawain wasn't distracted by them, in the same way a lion is not bothered by ants, and it continued to fly on.

The Strada type Necromancia couldn’t keep up with Gawain’s speed and scattered like being blown off by a storm.

''-Is this really a… Dance?''

''If this is also considered a type of dance… How do we classify the flying method in the academy? This is totally at a different level! Obviously… There is too much of a difference…!''

''-Lucca is undoubtedly a genius!''

Ash finally knows the reason why Lucca was still selected for the training camp even after she had been absent for three months.

At the same time… He experienced personally the terrifying feeling of falling off in the midst of the Dragon Riding Dance. Just by thinking of it, Ash's entire body stiffened, knowing it was a miracle that Lucca's body remained intact even after she had fallen from Gawain during practice.

Also… Lucca was not flying blindly.

Ash realized that, onto the night sky, Gawain was tracing a magic pattern, all within a circle, with its tracks.

Not long after that, the huge magic diagram had been completed.

Thinking back… Navi had mentioned something before.

''-Once the Dragon riding dance had been completed, many effects of magic will be activated.''

Ash’s eyes widen.

“Isn’t this a ‘Seikoku’!”

That’s right! The image that Lucca and Gawain completed together is a ‘Seikoku’.

There was the head of a dragon in the middle of a circle and it looked unique. The diameter should be more than a hundred meters.

The moment the magic circle was completed Lucca shouted:

“Dragon Riding Dance, the First Dance- '''‘The Amrita of purification’'''!" <ref>From Sanskrit, means immortality</ref>

The magic circle started glowing, and then brightened into a glaring light.

===Part 36===
[[Image:SnRK V03 285.jpg|thumb|“Dragon Riding Dance, the First Dance- '''‘The Amrita of purification’'''."]]
All the students who were busy fighting by the lakeside were shocked by the sudden lights.

The huge magic circle- ‘Seikoku’ was hanging at a corner of the night sky.

“So you had succeeded… Lucca.”

Rebecca smiled in relief.

After being exposed to the strong glaring light the tough Necromancias had returned back to ashes one by one.

On the other hand, the students had recovered their energy as if they had been treated with healing magic.

Rebecca also felt that her body had become lighter and the gloom in her heart had departed. It's as if her desperation from before was only an illusion.

She now felt that she can still continue the battle.

Upon seeing all the Necromancia at the lakeside had been defeated, the student cheered in unison. Even the injured patients who were taking refuge back at the training campsite ran out to the lakeside and cheered.

Looking at Gawain, who was flying energetically through the night sky, Rebecca chuckled.

“Since the ancient times the Eckbalds, who were dragners, were called ‘Elfn Dancer’. The Lucca right now best fits the descriptions-”

"Elfn Dancer ~A.S.B 1365.6~"is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 3

2015-08-22T20:16:38Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 3 - The Lakeside Vacation */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 3 - The Lakeside Vacation==
===Part 1===
Danebury. It is one of the few commercial cities in Ansarivan.

In this town, which is heavily fortified, many trade guilds from different countries can be seen. All the businessmen were doing their best to sell their goods. Just don't get fooled by this peaceful town, this town can adopt to many changes.

Danebury is also a place famous for its nickname ‘Pot of different races’. No one will even bother with Anya, who is of a Tantalos tribe, when she was walking on the streets. There are many stalls by the road side trying to sell their goods ranging from fruits to flowers to spices.

“This street is as busy as ever.” Anya murmured in a low voice and continued to move towards her destination.

From the street she turned into an alley. Then she continued to walk forward.

She kept going and soon there was not even a soul around her. Anya arrived at a building made from bricks––which was also the gathering point. Anya entered through the main door and walked up the stairs.

At the end of the corridor, on the third floor, there was a door with a "Rosetta’s Business Firm” sign hanging on it.

That was the gathering point operated by the Zepharos Empire for spying activities purposes in the Knight Country.

“It's me. Anya. I’ve returned.”

“You may enter.”

Even though the voice from behind the door was that of a young guy it felt more like a fully matured man.

“Sorry for intruding.”

Anya put on a calm act upon entering to hide her happiness.

In the room, which was used as the office, Milgauss was leisurely sitting on a chair. There were no other souls in that room. The fact that they were alone made Anya nervous.

Milgauss, who glanced at Anya, was again wearing his silver mask. His hair, silver with a few strands of dark red, will definitely catch the attention of others even in this so called ‘Pot of different races’ Danebury city.

“It had been a while. Anya.”

“Yes. Milgauss-sama.”

A few days before… Milgauss had returned to the Empire because he had to give a report about the Necromancia experiment to the higher ups.

Milgauss's superior, Klaus, was Count of the Wadanhuoer borders. Anya had not seen him before. If you hear the title "Count of a borderland", it will always give the impression of an old man - but Klaus was a noble only in his twenties.

“I had received your report. You have managed to infiltrate the academy. Right?”

“Yes. I’m currently investigating the boy who defeated the Necromancia. This is the report.”

Anya walked towards the table and carefully took out the documents kept in her bag.

Because she hasn't spent much time working at ‘La Tene’ the intelligence that she had gathered was very, very little. But Milgauss still read it carefully, which made Anya happy.

After a few moments… Milgauss looked up from the document.

“Thanks for your hard work. Please continue with the job.”

“Understood. I’ll investigate Ash Blake and young dragon Eco next. Three days from now they will take part in the Selective Training Camp. "I’ll be going there as a staff member in charge of food service.”

“The Selective Training Camp...? So that season has already arrived.”

Anya was surprised… Since the way Milgauss spoke was as if he was remembering something from his past.

“This year… Will it be again held at Allonnes Lakeside?”

“That's what I heard.”

While Anya was confused and thought… "why did he ask about that?" Milgauss continued to question her.

“Do you know about Willingham Mausoleum?”

“If I remember correctly… I think it is a mausoleum located not far away from Allonnes Lakeside. I’m not sure about the details.”

“That is a special mausoleum. Only dragons that died young are enshrined there.” Milgauss explained.

“But why only young dragons?”

Anya asked while feeling a cold chill at her back.

“We will have to refer back to the history before the beginning of Saint’s calendar. During that time, the dragons faced a crisis where their young were dying and they had to solve the problems related to the extinction of their species. As a result; They created the wise dragon’s magic Albion… On the other hand… Willingham Mausoleum was built at about that time. After that, it became a tradition to bury young dragons there.”

Today is in year 1365 in the A.S.B calendar.<ref>After Saint's Birth</ref> What Milgauss had said was a story from an ancient time.

“You are really very knowledgeable!”

“This is just general knowledge.”

Anya was embarrassed. She was afraid that Milgauss will look down on her because she hadn’t studied much. Milgauss didn't notice the change in her expression and continued to speak:

“And speaking about young dragons… We are lacking experimental data on them.”

“Are you suggesting that…”

Anya, who realized Milgauss plan, was trembling in fear.

“That’s right. The Empire is awaiting for the day we can put the Necromancia into use. That is why we need more complete information.”

Milgauss intended to use the ashes of the young dragons for experiments. To summon a Necromancia… The bones and ashes of a dragon are a must.

In reality. Anya hated the Necromancia. She couldn’t accept the existence of ''those things''. Moreover. They were going to use the ashes of a young dragon. Her hair were already standing on the end by just thinking about that.

But. Milgauss had already decided and she must support him to the end.

Anya killed off her own feelings in preparations for the next battle.

===Part 2===
After Anya left the room… Milgauss again took up the report.

The report was full of information about young dragon Eco that Anya had collected. Even though the data was yet to be completed… In a short time Milgauss still managed to find a hidden clue.

“So you are born… Descendant of Avalon…”

“Kuhu…" The sound of laughter came out from deep in his throat. The kind of laugh he'll never show in front of Anya. A negative feeling of love and hatred was spreading in his heart.

“Anyway. Is her name ‘Eco’?... I don't know whether this was on purpose or by fate… That's quite an ironic name her master had given her. But-“

Milgauss placed the report back on the table and looked outside of the window.

“It is still far better than to be killed by your own master. Don’t you think so too… Julius?”

===Part 3===
In the end. The first day for the selective training camp had arrived before Lucca’s and Gawain’s problem had been settled.

By the time the sun rises… The selected fifty-one riders left the school while being seen off by the remaining students.

When students, riding different types of dragons, appeared in the main streets of the city the residents gave loud cheers.

To see the top students off is a must-held activity every year during this season. Even the sun that was high up in the sky was wishing them good luck with its bright rays.

After leaving the walls of the town, the students followed the instruction of their instructors and were separated into three groups. '''(!)'''

It was because the upcoming paths will be chosen according to dragon types.

The Maestros and Stradas will take the sky path, Asias will take the land path and Hydras will take the waterway.

On the other hand, the staff from ‘La Tene’s’, who were in charge of food service, had previously departed. Cosette was also among them as she had volunteered to become staff. So it was a rare sight that she was traveling separately from Silvia.

Followed by the Stradas’ group, which began their journey by spreading their wings, the Asias’ group headed out, making their way down the streets with dust trailing behind them. The Hydras’ group was still playing in the water. Each of the groups were led by a professor who was also an instructor for practical skills.

Only the Student Council members and their Pals were not concerned by the groupings. They still remained standing in front of the town walls.

===Part 4===
“Right… Now is the time for us to decide who is going to give Ash, Eco and Lucca a ride.”

Rebecca, who was already wearing the official dragsuit for the student council president, announced.

Ash, Eco and Lucca were unable to reach the training camp on their own.

“Of course Ash-sama is going to follow me-”

Jessica who now had rosy coloured cheeks volunteered herself. But after a few seconds her Pal Rhiannon, seemingly on its own, suddenly moved.

“Wait… Rhiannon what’s wrong with you?”

Rhiannon didn’t listen to its master’s orders and was running towards the river twenty meters away. Even though a Hydra can move on land they can only show their true ability in the water. It probably felt jumpy after being on land for a too long a time.

“S-Stop! Are you trying to disobey your master’s order?”

Too bad for her as Rhiannon wasn't listening to its master’s summons. Not only that but Jessica, who was chasing Rhiannon, was picked up by her belt, in it's mouth, using it to carry her. Moving its huge python-like body it arrived at the river in the blink of an eye. It quickly entered the water and started swimming off.

Jessica, who was now hanging by her belt in mid-air, turned to look at Ash and said:

“My dear Ash-sama… I’ll be waiting for you at Allonnes Lakeside––”

Rhiannon was swimming freely. Because it swam quickly they disappeared down the far end before Jessica was able to finish with her sentence.

“Is that Jessica’s Pal…? Its behavior is exactly like a duplicate of its master.”

Ash said while smiling.

“In the end they were just doing a comedy act.”

Rebecca was stunned when she saw her pitiful childhood friend depart.

“Lets us not be bothered by that, kaichou<ref>President</ref>. If we do not quickly depart, the rest of the students will start to wonder. Logically speaking… We should be the ones who are going to check up on their attendance.”

Rebecca agreed with what Max had said.

“Understood. So… Lucca. Do you have anyone that you want to ride with.”

Even though Lucca had already changed into her dragsuit she had not spoken since she departed from the school. Even at this moment she was looking down and depressed. Her Yōsei-like beauty seems to come with a feeling that it might disappear anytime like a bubble popping.

Gawain, as the supposed culprit for making Lucca feel depressed, did not even seem to be bothered. It was lying down on the ground with a worrisome expression. Ash initially thought that Gawain, who had its Astral cut off, wouldn’t be able to take part in the Selective Training Camp. However, it was said that, since ancient times, the Allonnes Lakeside had been a recuperative resting spot for the dragons.

''So… The reason that Gawain is willing to take part in this Training Camp is to prolong its lifespan...'' Ash personally thought.

“Lucca, if you remain silent, how am I to know what you were thinking?” Rebecca said while looking at her face.

Responding to Rebecca… Lucca reluctantly replied:

“I knew it… Since I was unable to ride on Gawain… There is no point for me to take part in the Selective Training Camp from the start.”

“You’re absolutely correct about it.”

Ash gasped after he heard what Rebecca had said. As far as he knew, this is the first time Rebecca was mean to Lucca.

“Anyway, if you continue on the way you are, the training camp will end meaninglessly for you.”

“If that's the case… Why do you still insist that I go with you?”

“The point is not whether it is meaningful or not.”

“Huh???”

“In reality, no matter if it is your birth, you being an Eckbald, becoming a breeder or becoming a dragner… There was never a meaning behind them in the first place. Those were just labels tacked-on by humans later on.”

Lucca slowly lifted her head and looked at Rebecca’s stare.

“Your point is… It is all down to me?”

“Great, you have known this for quite a long time, right?”

Rebecca finally smiled and gently patted Lucca’s head, even though Lucca still had a worrisome look on her, as at least she had made up her mind. She can be seen pulling Rebecca’s sleeve.

“I want to follow Rebecca.”

“Alright. I’ll be responsible for giving Lucca a ride to the Allonnes Lakeside. Next will be the problem concerning Ash and Eco.”

===Part 5===
Silvia’s heart skipped a beat when she heard what Rebecca had said.

She was troubled by her own feelings. ''Why do I feel excited? Does that mean that I hope to ride on the same dragon with Ash…?''

''-Ash Blake.''

He is an incredible guy.

He hadn’t spoken much to Silvia in the three years of his basic class years. That is because Silvia didn’t have any intention to befriend anyone. The only thing that she did was to keep on reminding herself; 'to become a great dragner' and that she herself must study hard. She didn’t even try to approach anyone and didn’t even think that it was necessary.

But… Ash had invaded Silvia’s enclosed life several times. During the dragon riding festival’s competition, the Necromancia’s attack and now they are comrades in the student council.

Also. There was the church’s terrorist incident… When that incident happened, even though it was a farce planned by Veronica, Ash was still in the center spotlight and had an eye catching excellent performance there.

“…”

Silvia’s cheeks unavoidably turned red when she tried to recall those events.

When the hostages were freed Ash approached Silvia. During that time, because Silvia had released all the stress that had built-up before she was freed, she didn’t even have the strength to stand up straight. Luckily… Ash supported her by her arm and also piggybacked her back to the academy.

Somehow. Ash's back made Silvia felt nostalgic.

Nine years ago––Silvia encountered a guy from the ‘Orphan Ceremony’.

Not only had he saved Silvia but he also gave Silvia the opportunity to become Lancelot’s master. Strictly speaking… It was the guy who refused the chance to become Lancelot’s master and handed over the responsibility to Silvia.

To Silvia… She was heavily in debt to that guy.

But, after the ‘Orphan Ceremony’ ended, Silvia had lost contact with that guy. Because that guy gave away his opportunity to become Lancelot’s master… He also lost the chance to become a breeder and will go back to his village empty handed.

The Princess of the Knight’s Royal Family and the village boy.

Logically speaking… They won’t have the chance to meet each other again for the rest of their lives.

Still… Somehow… Ash’s back had a similar smell as with that guy.

But of course this could just be Silvia’s mistake. Anyway. That incident happened nine years ago. It was probably Silvia who projected the image of that guy onto Ash.

Furthermore, that guy wouldn’t even be in Ansarivan.

Before parting, the last words that the guy told Silvia were:

''-You must work hard in my place in order to become a great Dragner.''

Because, he no longer had the chance to become a Dragner, that guy entrusted his wish onto Silvia.

In another words; That guy can never be Ash.

“Are you alright… Princess?” Ash’s words of concern swept away all of Silvia's present thoughts.

Somehow Ash had been peeping at Silvia’s face.

Ash, who was now in his dragsuit, looked totally different from his usual self. Not only did he look full of spirit but he also doesn’t seem to fit the title ‘Number One Problem Child in the academy’ anymore.

“N-Nothing! I’m alright!”

Silvia kept on shaking her hand to emphasize that she is alright. Ash was confused at first but then started to ask Silvia seriously.

“So… Do you allow Lancelot to give anyone a ride?”

“Err…”

Silvia was caught off guard for a little moment… ''What kind of conclusion did he make that made him use the word ‘So’?'' It seems that when she let her thoughts wonder… They had already made the decision.

From the way he said it… It had been decided that he is going to ride with Silvia.

She felt an amazing feeling from the depth of her heart.

''-H-How is this possible…! It is just a ride but why… Why would I have such a feeling? A-Am I-I h-happy about it? Does riding together with Ash make me happy!? I’ll never admit this…! I will never ever admit this…!''

Looking at how anxious Silvia looked Ash continued to ask:

“Princess. Are you not feeling well?”

“I-I’m fine alright!”

Silvia cleared her throat with a cough. She must first calm down her emotions.

“B-But because the Lautreamont family’s rules states that; ‘boys and girls must not ride together after seven’. Even though our relationship is quite intimate- No, no, our relationship cannot be considered intimate… But, for us to ride together to Allonnes Lakeside… I-It is actually a little bit difficult for me.”

“What were you mumbling about? Do you hate it for us to ride together that much?”

Ash was staring at Silvia looking surprised.

“I-It is not that I hate it….”

"So you are basically saying that you allowed it. Of course, since Lancelot is good at accelerating, so holding on tight to Princess is a must for safety reasons.”

“What…!”

Silvia almost had her head explode with the thought of Ash holding on to her waist.

“Hey! Ash. Are you trying to ride with me with those kinds of indecent thoughts?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? If you don't hold on tight during the ride… It is the same as toying with your own life.”

Silvia’s lifted her angry and trembling fist in front of her chest and declared to Ash:

“Why don't I… let you vanish from this world right now!!!”

“Huh??”

Ash was knocked back over after an iron punch at the chin. He made a beautiful curve in midair and landed with a thump. Though, because of his dragsuit, he didn’t felt much pain.

Rebecca, Max and Eco were completely stunned as they watched Ash stand up shakily.

“Why did you punch me…!? The person who is going to ride with Princess is Eco?”

“What!”

With a ‘crack’… The time had frozen.

In this moment, Silvia realized that she had misunderstood.

To put it bluntly… The person who is going to ride with Silvia was Eco. As for Ash––He had already asked Max to let Arianrhod to give him a ride––this should be the logical conclusion made. It would naturally be more comfortable for people of the same gender to ride together.

Silvia’s body was heated up by her embarrassment. She wished for a cave to hide into.

“Baka! <ref>Idiot.</ref> Why didn’t you mention it earlier!”

===Part 6===
The dragon leading the flight was Cú Chulainn and was followed by Arianrhod. Lucca was with Rebecca while Ash was with Max.

Gawain was the next to leave. It was probably because it does not receive any Astral, there isn’t a single hint of haki<ref>You will know what it is if you read one piece. But haki is 覇気 which literally means an aura that someone strong emits that will let their enemies or the people around them feel under tension or fear.</ref> from it. Even though Allonnes Lakeside was a healing rest spot, it still looked like the living dead, bringing it along felt like a torture for it.

“Alright. It’s our turn now!”

Silvia turned back and look at Eco.

“I’ll sit on the dragon first and you shall sit behind me. You mustn’t ever loosen your grip from my waist. It's dangerous.”

“Understood.”

Eco obediently nodded in reply.

With a simple leap Silvia landed at the front of Lancelot's back. After she held the leather reins she felt refreshed.

“Come on… Eco!”

Her left hand left her grips on the reins and stretch towards Eco.

At this moment… A very strange thing happened. Lancelot, as if to make it easy for Eco to get into the saddle, automatically kneeled down. Not only that… It also lowered its head respectfully in front of Eco.

“Lancelot…?”

Silvia was confused. Lancelot’s behavior right now was as a servant serving its master. Even though Silvia was its master she had never received a treatment as classy as this. The incident that was happening now was shocking enough.

After Silvia pulled Eco up onto Lancelot she asked:

“…It seems that Lancelot respects you a lot. Do you know why?”

After Eco sat behind Silvia she answered with a confused tone:

“For heaven’s sake… I don’t know anything. But as far as I can see, since it respects me, I’ll generously praise it as a smart dragon."

Eco showed a proud expression.

“Grrrunn…”

After receiving Eco’s praise Lancelot made a cute voice.

“H-Hey! You are not allowed to make that sound to anyone except me! You are Silvia Lautreamont's… My Pal! Quickly make a brave voice!”

Silvia scolded it sternly and gave it a light kick in its tummy. Lancelot was in a shock and quickly spread its wings and took off.

===Part 7===
In a blink of an eye, the groups of Maestros were a hundred meters above the ground.

“Uuh… This scenery is one that you’ll never get bored of.”

Silvia said happily.

At the center of the endless plains… Ansarivan is like a beautiful model. The streets for the dragon riding festival’s competition and Fianna Forest can be seen all together.

The Strada’s group, lead by the instructors, were some distance away and look like a pea. Although, with the true ability of a Maestro, they could pass them in a moment Rebecca still purposely maintained a low speed. The reason is probably she didn’t want the rest of the students to find out about Lucca and Gawain. Even though it is going to spread, sooner or later, the fact that Lucca couldn’t ride her pal still remained a secret.

“Listen carefully! You must never loosen your grip!”

Silvia reminded Eco while looking at the front.

Everybody was wearing their hardy dragsuit but only Eco was in her uniform. Maybe she took this activity as a field trip.

But… Eco suddenly felt down.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Silvia was worried about Eco’s condition. But what she received was an even confusing answer.

“Why are yours this big?”

Silvia didn’t understand what she meant.

“Big..? What were you talking about?”

Eco suddenly emits a killing intent that immediately frightens Silvia.

“I’m talking about your breasts! Why are yours and Rebecca’s this big?”

“Th-This is too sudden! So you are also worrying about this stuff?”

Silvia was stunned. Even though Eco always stated things like ‘honourable and extraordinary dragons’ she still faced human-liked troubles.

“That’s because of Ash… Sometimes… He will either stare at yours or Rebecca’s breast. I’m really unhappy about it. Even though I still don’t know the reasons yet…”

“What did you say!?”

Silvia was almost infected by Eco’s anger but she managed to control herself. They were now in the middle of a flight and had unconsciously reached a two hundred meters in height. She mustn’t loose her cool here.

“Even when that fellow likes to look at breasts… He won’t even be bothered by mine. Why was this happening?! I can’t accept this!”

“T-That’s because…” Silvia was suffering from a severe lack of vocabulary to use.

Anyway… She knew next to nothing about a guy’s thinking. That’s why she was unable to answer Eco.

''-Back to the topic… Ash looked at my breasts?”''

Silvia’s cheeks became hot.

Although she was angry at his behavior, on the other hand, she doesn’t really hate it. She was also surprised and confused that she felt contradicted.

No, not only she doesn’t have the feeling of repulsion, in fact…

''-Stop! What am I thinking about!''

Even as Silvia was struggling within herself… Eco suddenly demanded something unspeakably outrageous.

“W-What are you thinking about! How could I ever agree with that!”

“Even when you reject it verbally… Your defences are full of holes!”

Eco squeezed her hand under the both sides of Silvia’s armpits and Silvia’s muscles suddenly had a shock. Eco was right; Silvia, who was now in control of the reins, now has zero protection as far as she could see.

“S-Stop- Ahh…”

Eco was toying with Silvia’s breasts through her dragsuit with her tiny hands. She was as innocent as a child who was playing with a newly received toy.
[[Image:SnRK V03 142.jpg|thumb|“It’s soft! It’s really soft! There must have been magic placed on these that can charm the male animal!”]]

“It’s soft! It’s really soft! There must have been magic placed on these that can charm the male animal!”

“Y-You are just thinking too much! Wait... Aah...!”

Eco was playing with Silvia’s breast just like making pasta without holding herself back. This had made her lose her strength and also loosen her hold on the reins.

“Have you had enough of this already! You better be careful of your mischief... or else I’ll push you down!!!”

Lancelot kept on moving upwards and had now reached three hundred meters in altitude. Eco’s face turned pale after she peeked downwards.

“Alright... alright...”

Eco, who was scared by the height, reluctantly let go of Silvia’s breasts.

===Part 8===
Allonnes Lake has the largest surface area of any lake in the Knight Country.

It is also the place where they produce ayu and funa. <ref>Types of fish. 鮎 ayu is also called sweet fish, 鮒 funa is called crucain carp.</ref>

On the other hand… The forest surrounding the lake was known as Norg Forrest. The wild plants growing there contain high amounts of Astral. It was also well known as a recuperative resting spot for dragons.

There are many villas scattering around the lakeside that can be seen from the air. The most striking of them, owned by the dragon riding academy, was none other than the facility for the training camp.

Even though it looked like an old building from the outside it was still a huge dragon house. The functional dragon house here had enough rooms for about sixty dragons. It looked magnificent just by it sheer size.

Also, at the same time, a little distance away from the lakeside there are some large rocky hills. One of which is the location of the ancient mausoleum.

All scholars specialized in dragons will know that that is Willingham Mausoleum.

===Part 9===
The first to arrive at the lakeside were the Strada and Maestro groups. The one way journey took about three hours as the dragon flies. The riders casually entered the training campsite and waited comfortably for the other groups to arrive.

The supporting staff, that arrived earlier at the training campsite including Angela, academy lecturers and food service personnel, welcomed Ash and the rest with cheers and smiles. Cosette was wearing a royal standard maid attire while serving drinks to the students.

The next to arrive was the hydra group who were slower than those who used the sky paths by two hours. Jessica who escaped from Rhiannon’s clenches kept on hugging Ash after she had entered the restaurant.

The last to arrive were the Asia’s group. They slowly arrived around four hours later than those who used the sky paths had arrived.

Rebecca who acted as the master of ceremony stood up and glanced at the students.

“I’m student council president Rebecca Randall. I’m happy that no accidents have happened and everyone had arrived here safely.”

Logically speaking… This speech should be given by a lecturer but they were off sitting at a corner drinking their tea. They clearly understood that they don't have the influence Rebecca possessed so they just let it be.

“Listen carefully. This Selective Training Camp is not a place to just gather the entire group of good students to do activities together. After graduation… Everyone will start working in their own field. As long as you have the experience in taking part in this camp you will be seen and respected differently everywhere. For example; Every member of the famous Holy-Dragners of Lautreamont had left the Selective Training Camp with good good performance results.

However, if there were any students who wanted to join the Dragners, you still mustn’t feel complacent just because you had been chosen to join this selective training camp. I hope that every person here joined with the spirit to win.”

All the students gave full attention to Rebecca’s talk.

Ash who had never thought about his future suddenly felt that the atmosphere around him had become tense and felt himself missing out.

''-Everyone’s so hardworking….''

Ash was different from those who worked hard to join the Selective Training Camp. He only managed to be here, right now, thanks to Rebecca’s personal opinion.

To put it bluntly… Ash still hasn't felt the same excitement, as the others, for the training camp.

“So, for all the students, please rest sufficiently for today because tomorrow’s special training will need it.

Rebecca, all serious up until there, suddenly showed a mischievous smile.

“That being said… But, for some relaxation, we will still provide you all with some time off to enjoy the lake.

After a short silence. The restaurant was drowned under the sound of cheers.

===Part 10===
Under the bright sun… The students gathered at the lakeside were full of spirit. Because they had departed from the academy early… There was ample time for them to have fun before the sun sets.

Although Ash didn’t bring his swimming wear with him, he still never regretted that. It was because he never had any intention to have fun in the water.

If he changed into swimming wear the ‘Seikoku’ on his left hand will be exposed and going into the water with the bandages on doesn't look natural at all.

Ash changed into his casual wear, which include his t-shirt, shorts and sandals, and was sitting leisurely by the lakeside.

There wasn’t anybody from the student council that came into his view. Max, as usual, was currently suffering from his crazy neat freak illness and was off cleaning the room. From Ash's viewpoint… It's a wonder if he could finish it before evening.

Lucca, who was a natural shut-in, had hid herself inside her own room. Gawain was not in the dragon house but was sleeping somewhere in Norg Forrest surrounding the lake to recover some astral.

As for Rebecca, Silvia, Jessica, and Eco… They should be still changing in the changing room. Cosette did prepare a swimming suit for Eco, and Ash was thankful for her to be this understanding.

“Ash-samaaaaaa.”

At this moment. A huge hydra appeared with a like sized big splash.

It seems that it was Rhiannon. From its neck to its head is in a curve shape which made it looked more like a snake than a dragon.

Needless to say, the person on its head was Jessica. She was wearing a cute orange coloured bikini.

It was not surprising that Jessica would bring her pal along with her. Whenever the academy’s students were playing around with water the Hydras were the most active in it. One by one the riders of the Hydras appeared on the lake and sounds of cheers could be heard.

“J-Jessica..?”

Ash became nervous while standing in front of Jessica, he just didn’t know where to look at. Even when Jessica’s attitude had always been daring… She still has a nice body. In front of her cleavage, upper arms, hips and soft tender skin… Ash gulped.

“Ara? Ash-sama you didn’t bring your swimming wear with you?”

“Err… I’m not in the mood for swimming…”

“How could you do that! It is our honeymoon!”

“Why would a decent activity become a honeymoon! And I’m not even married to you!”

“Haa… Your indifferent attitude is so charming. Come, hold my hand, and together we will challenge the sea! Our sea adventure is going to start!”

“I think that you have been mistaken! This is a lake and not a sea!”

“That won’t be a problem! Rhiannon! Go and fetch me Ash-sama!”

After roaring once Rhiannon clumsily lifted Ash up by his collar.

“Hu… Uwaaaaa!”

Ash, hanging in midair, was forcefully brought to the middle of the lake.

===Part 11===
Inside the girl’s changing room, of the training camp, Silvia was stunned.

It is because of Cosette acted naturally when she handed her her swimming wear? The design was just too much of an exaggeration. Although the colour blue is Silvia’s favorite it's also a two piece bikini which...

But, hold on, there is way too little fabric on this swim wear!

“…. Cosette… Are you sure you want me to actually wear this swimsuit? You know… I’m- Silvia Lautreamont the proud fourth princess of the Knight’s family!”

“Of course. Princess.”

Cosette just revealed a big smile, it seemed like she wasn't going to prepare any another swimming wear for her. No, it should be said that, she only prepared this one for her.

On the other hand… Eco had changed into a cute one piece swimsuit outfit.

"So, I see, this is a swimsuit. It's my first time wearing one!”.

Eco was excitedly examining at herself wearing her swimsuit. It uses white colour as a base with cute ribbons as accessories. ''If there is such a swimming suit, why did you not prepare the same one for me…'' Silvia offered a seriously complaining glare towards Cosette.
[[Image:SnRK V03 151.jpg|thumb|"So, I see, this is a swimsuit. It's my first time wearing one!”.]]

“I think that this swimming wear suits you well, what do you think about it Eco?”

“You really have some good perception at appreciating beautiful things that can satisfy a dragon! You are really good!”

“It’s my pleasure.” Cosette bowed gracefully.

Rebecca, who was right in front of Silvia, had already changed into a deep red coloured bikini and had also put on a mischievous smile.

“Anything wrong? Have you not finished changing yet Silvia?”

“R-Right…”

Silvia was normally confident in her body but compared to how Rebecca presented herself she felt depressed. For Silvia, who was still 'growing', Rebecca’s body can only be described with the word 'perfect'. The dark red coloured bikini suits her so well it made Silvia clench her teeth.

''In front of a girl who had such a nice body, any boy would have fallen for her. Ash also must have been…''

''-Stop, stop! Why would Ash appear at such a time.'' Silvia immediately shook her head.

Rebecca, with another mischievous smile, said to her:

“Be quick. Silvia! I’ll be leaving first!”

Eco too followed right behind Rebecca.

The only ones left in the changing room were Silvia and Cosette.

“Alright. Please be quick princess. I beg your forgiveness… If you are still worrying about anything, please pardon my rudeness by forcing you to change.”

“I think that… You are not even afraid of anything. No? Aren’t you even enjoying this…?”

“Ara? So I have been found out. Ufufufu.”

Cosette, after that dangerous laugh, took a step forward.

She had the eyes of a hunter who had locked on on its prey.

===Part 12===
At the lakeside Rebecca was sitting on a beach chair with her sunglasses. She looked classy with a wine glass in one hand while leisurely enjoying her environment.

“T-To be able to watch the president in her swimming wear… We are just too lucky.” The guys immediately revealed their perverted behavior.

Even though all of them were top students… They were still guys in their teens.

Silvia gave an insulting look at the perverted guys and stiffly walked to the lakeside. She embarrassingly turned back and asked Cosette about her opinion. “Hey… Cosette, do I really… Doesn’t it look weird?”
[[Image:SnRK V03 004-005.jpg|thumb|"It suits you well!" The breeze from the lake made Silvia feel cold and also made it hard to calm her emotions down.]]

“It suits you well!”

“D-Does it?”

The breeze form the lake made Silvia feel cold and also made it hard to calm her emotions down. Furthermore. There was the feeling of her swimsuit, if she was careless, getting stuck in between her butt which made her nervous. Of course this is also the first time where she was wearing such a daring outfit in front of a crowd.

Cosette suddenly whispered to her.

“Rest assure… Ash-sama will be happy with this.”

“W-W-Why must you mention Ash!”

Silvia angrily glared but, at that moment, there began a ruckus among the guys.

“Princess had arrived!”

“What a sexy bikini!”

“I… I can now die happy…!”

Silvia became nervous. She felt that her body was trampled on by their sights.

“Hey, Cosette! Give me something to cover my body… Whether it's a towel or a shirt!”

“If you don’t mind my apron… I could lend it to you.”

“How could a princess of a country wear such a thing!”

“I personally think that the combination of an apron and bikini will not only amaze the others but be interesting too.”

“What are you joking about!”

Silvia wanted to immediately return to the training camp changing room. Anyway. It is unnecessary for her to accompany these excited students. She should had stayed in her room quietly like Lucca and Max.

At this moment, a desperate scream could be heard all over the lake.

“Uwaaaa! I beg you… please stop!”

Silvia immediately knew that it was Ash’s voice.

She doesn’t know the reason why she could recognize Ash’s voice right away like that.

“Ohohoho! Rhiannon’s ability is not limited to only this. Ash-sama!”

The Hydra Rhiannon was surfing on the lake at high speed and the ones riding on its back are none other than Jessica and Ash.

“…!”

Just when Silvia was still confused about her own feelings-

“Grrrroooooo…!”

Lancelot, followed by a roar, landed by the lakeside. The sudden air blast had lifted some dust.

The most unbelievable thing was that Eco was the person riding it. Under the condition where Silvia was not present Lancelot, willingly and unexpectedly, let Eco ride on its back.

“H- How is this possible!” Silvia shouted.

Silvia couldn’t believe her own eyes.

Eco, holding the reins in her swimsuit, was smiling. After she spotted Silvia she said:

“I’ll be borrowing your Pal for a while!”

Silvia immediately rushed forward.

“Hold on. Eco! How come… You are riding on Lancelot!?”

“I had enough of that girl called Jessica! Damn. Even when Ash is my meat slave!”

Eco clenched her teeth when looking at Jessica, playing happily at the middle of the lake.

“To go up against Jessica, I must have a hydra. But the only breeder who has a hydra in the student council is Jessica. Then… I thought of something. A Maestro can move freely in sea, land or air!”

“Even though what you were saying was right… I’m still surprised that Lancelot is willing to give you a ride. Hey Lancelot! What's the big idea!"

After being scolded by Silvia, Lancelot reacted with lowering down its head. This was the first time Silvia saw Lancelot behaving like this.

It was normally a ferocious, classy Maestro who matched up well with Silvia…

“So. What are you going to do?”

Silvia was still stunned by both Lancelot's and Eco’s behavior.

“I want to let Jessica taste some bitterness. Are you with me? Or are you not?”

Eco’s scarlet eyes were looking at Silvia from high up.

Silvia didn’t expect Eco to invite her. It's probably the three hours they spent together on the journey that made their relationship closer. ''Or else, she is… Treating me as a rival. Wait! A rival in what sense?''

Seeing Silvia still couldn’t make up her mind… Eco impatiently provoked:

“Hey! If you still can’t make your mind… I’ll be leaving you!”

These words gave her a little push.

Silvia had given up thinking about those troublesome questions.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The beautiful Allonnes lake is right in front of her and the students whom had changed into their colourful swimming wear.

In the corner of her eyes… Ash can be seen playing with Jessica on the back of the hydra.

In this case… there is only one thing to do.

“C-Count me in!”

Silvia, with much effort, managed to say those words and she jumped onto Lancelot. She received the reins from Eco and immediately ordered Lancelot to take flight.

Seeing that Silvia decided to join in the waterborne fun… A loud cheer went up around the beach.

"Playing with Water ~A.S.B. ~1365.6~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 2

2015-08-22T20:14:53Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 2 - Rebecca's Dangerous Command */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 2 - Rebecca's Dangerous Command==
===Part 1===
After class, Ash anxiously went to the student council’s office.

Even though he was worried about Eco who had stayed in the dorm for the entire day, he insisted that he must speak to Rebecca face to face.

"Excuse me!"

Ash walked into the student council’s office without even knocking on the door.

Just as he had expected, Rebecca was in the office. She was sitting on the couch comfortably drinking her cup of tea. The sweet aroma of the Ansal tea can be smelled. Apart from Rebecca, there were no other students in the office.

"Hi, Ash. I had expected that you’ll show yourself."

Seeing Ash rushed into the room, Rebecca smiled.

"What is that about? Why am I also participant in the Selective Training Camp with those kinds of results......"

"Don’t you worry, please have a seat first before we start talking."

Ash unwillingly sat down opposite of Rebecca. Upon seeing this, Rebecca suddenly patted the empty space next to her.

"Didn’t I tell you before that it is more effective to get to know each other when two people are sitting next to each other? This is the iron rule when you are dating."

"...Understood."

Although his current mood had nothing to do with dating, Ash obediently sat next to Rebecca. A refreshing scent could be smelled. It was the perfume that Rebecca loved to use.

After Rebecca put her cup down, she looked at Ash. Her emerald-like eyes were reflecting Ash's face.

"Are you so concerned about yourself being selected?"

"Of course, I don’t know why I was even chosen......"

The Specially Recommended System was only adopted this year. It was evaluated by the student council president, so I choose you. It is just as simple as this. But-

Upon saying this, Rebecca showed her tongue. This is the first time Ash saw Rebecca’s playful look. That cute look made his heart beat faster.

"To tell you the truth, the person who suggested the Specially Recommended System is me."

"What!? What is your purpose?"

Seeing Ash was dumbfounded, Rebecca, with a calm attitude placed her hand on his lap and gently stroked his knee. Not only that, her mouth was getting closer to Ash’s ear.

Rebecca exhaled on his earlobe, which made Ash shivered.

"Are you forcing me to tell you personally? Of course, it is to allow you to participate in the training camp!"

"W-Why...?"

"By following the previous selection method, an irregular like you will surely not be selected. But you have a genuine talent. To even have the incredible power of riding other people’s Pal.... and to have a special pal is also a fact. Additionally, you defeated the Necromancia and ‘Avdocha the Convicted’. That is why, I insist in letting you participate in the training camp, The Specially Recommended System is used to accomplish this task. "

"So it is really... for me?"

Ash was staring at Rebecca’s beauty.

''Am I thinking too much?'' There is the feeling of Rebecca’s cheeks also turning red.

"About that... right until now, I never fell in love with any particular boy."

"Huh...?"

"Because no matter how good that boy is, he can never be in the same position as me."

If these words were from the mouth of another girl, she may sound arrogant. But since it was Rebecca, it will be another story. After all, she is a unique Ark-Dragner.

"But whenever I see you... It is a little strange, but I am always looking forward to it. I've never had these feelings. Maybe... I am easily attracted to 'hidden talents'."

Ash was surprised that there were times when Rebecca stuttered. Moreover, she looked like she doesn’t know how to deal with her feelings.

“W-What you mean... is it?"

Ash's heartbeat was almost at its peak.

Rebecca as if leaking her secret, uttered that sentence.

"Can I expect it from you?"

Despite feeling flattered, Ash still had the urge to hug tightly Rebecca. This is the first time Ash had this kind of feelings for Rebecca.

Their shoulders leaned closely together. No, it was done intentionally by Rebecca. Since the summer uniform was made from thin material, Ash was able to clearly feels Rebecca's body temperature. ''Maybe summer uniforms also have its advantages...'' This is the first time Ash thinks so.

"Rebecca-san......!"

Just when Ash was quietly murmuring like he was dreaming-

''-Bang!''

The door was suddenly opened with a loud sound. Meanwhile, two girls who had lost their balance plunged into the office.

With a closer look, the two were Silvia and Jessica.

Ash quickly stood up from the couch.

"What are you doing!?"

"I-It is not me! It was Jessica who suddenly pushed me...”

Silvia while rubbing her waist quickly climbed up. A while back, she slowly built up her royal dignity which made him give her a little admiration. But after she had shown her useless side, Ash felt a little regret.

"Rebecca! I am not gonna let you off easily today!"

Jessica rushed up from the ground and said to her.

"There are so many people for you to seduce and you choose my Ash-sama!"

Rebecca with a nonchalant look replied:

"Jessica, you are mistaken. Ash at this stage does not belong to anyone! Logically speaking, I am not seducing him."

"You're lying! The scene just now..."

"Aright, I won’t deny that I might like him in the near future..."

After hearing that, Jessica's expression instantly stiffened.

It seems that she never thought that Rebecca would declare war on her in this case.

Not only Jessica, even Silvia was also speechlessly staring at Rebecca.

"I actually would like to ask what you two were doing suspiciously behind the door. Since you are in the student council, why do you not walk in proudly?"

Rebecca retorted with sharp words, which resulted in Silvia and Jessica explaining with a "Uuh!".

"I-I accidentally saw Ash-sama in the corridor and I came to take a look and I found out that Princess was standing at the
doorway..."

Jessica quietly stared at Silvia.

"I-I initially wanted to ask president about issues of the selective training camp, but I saw president and Ash... Err... The
atmosphere was a little embarrassing, so I was embarrassed to come in...

After listening to the two explanations, Rebecca sighed.

"The two of you are a proud members of the student council, at the same time, both of you are participants of the Selective training camp. I hope that you two have some self-respect, and remind yourselves to keep an honest attitude."

"Understood..."

Opposite of Silvia who humbly accepts the advice, Jessica refuted.

"Hmph! Rebecca are you in any position to make those irresponsible remarks? I wonder who was the girl who embraced Ash-sama on the student council’s office's sofa? If Her Royal Highness and I had not broke in, God knows at what stage you will be progressing!"

"Ara, such attitude. I'm happy to talk about the trouble you made in your childhood right here? Anyhow you are my childhood playmate. Well, there were many things that could become the topic."

Despite the smile made by the smooth lips, Rebecca's eyes did not show any smiling sign. Like an eagle forcing its prey into its beak, they were bursting out with dazzling light.

"Eek...!"

Her previous arrogance had disappeared. Jessica who turn pale was sweating profusely.

"I-It was my b-bad."

"Hmm, it is good to admit you are wrong honestly."

When Rebecca was answering while smiling- someone frantically rushed in through the opened door.

"President! Something is very wrong...!"

It was Max, who was in charge of the accounts. Perhaps he was running at full speed along the way because he was out of breath. He didn’t even notice that his spectacle was not in the right place.

How urgent was the situation for the calm Max to become this way? Ash was also feeling very tense since the city had been full of disaster recently, .

"What happened, Max? To be panicked to this extent is not your style."

The student council president was sure to be very experienced, Rebecca was still calm even after seeing Max's expression. She was calmly waiting for Max to reply.

"W-We received a report... there is smoke emerging from the Merk House of the women's dormitory-!"

"Is it a small fire?"

"The details are unclear. But, the smoke is suspected to be emerging from Lucca Sarlinen's room......"

Upon hearing Lucca Sarlinen’s name, Rebecca face became pale.

"I'll leave for Merk house... In my name Rebecca Randall I order! Respond to my summon, Cú Chulainn-"

The next moment, Maestro Cú Chulainn who responded to Rebecca’s summoning spell appeared in front of the window.

===Part 2===
Rebecca stood on Cú Chulainn’s neck heroically, but Ash, Silvia and Jessica were struggling to cling on to its fur.

Because Max was almost out of breath, he was left behind in the Student Council’s office. The other reason was that it would not be appropriate to leave the office empty when an emergency situation had occured.

In the end, there was no need for such a large group of people to march forth to the scene. As long as Rebecca was dealing with it personally, she was sure to come up with the most appropriate solution.

However, after Rebecca and Ash jumped on Cú Chulainn, a strange thing happened. Silvia and Jessica also stepped on the window and jumped.

After giving a wry smile, Rebecca immediately changed back to her serious looks.

"Take us to the Merk house!"

After receiving Rebecca’s orders, Cú Chulainn gave an earth shattering roar and spread its wings.

Ash and the rest just felt a floating sensation and a strong pressure. The Merk house, which took twenty minutes
to walk to, was right in front of them in the blink of an eye.

The Merk house was designed as the accommodation for the basic class female students.

Unsurprisingly, the outside of the dormitory was packed with girls. They should be the ones who escaped after finding out about the smoke.

The girls screamed after they saw Rebecca jump down from Cú Chulainn. The Student council president Rebecca Randall had always been regarded as an idol by the low-grade students.

"We are from the student council! Is the warden here?"

After Rebecca stated her name loudly, an old lady walked towards her.

"Is Lucca still in her room?"

Rebecca quickly asked and the warden nodded.

"That’s right. The other students called her several times, but she didn’t respond...."

According to the warden, the conclusions were as follows-

Not long before, the students living on the same floor as Lucca discovered smoke coming out from her room. If such an event occurred in the advance class dormitory, the advance class students should have a way to calmly handle it.

However, the lower class students who were still mentally immature, were shocked by the unexpected events. Their fear spread like an epidemic and it finally become a commotion.

The warden said that she had gotten a headache just by trying to get the panicking girls to safety. Logically speaking, she should have the spare key to open Lucca’s room, but she was busy with some other stuff.

The warden who finished speaking handed over the silver keys to Rebecca.

"This is the spare key to Lucca-san’s room.”

"I understand. Please stay here and take care of the students."

After receiving the key, she started to run. Ash and the others followed behind Rebecca. On the way there, Ash asked Rebecca.

"Rebecca-san... I would like to ask what kind of problem the girl named Lucca Sarlinen is facing."

Perhaps this was not an important enough question for them to talk about while running. But even the calm Rebecca had mobilized Cú Chulainn to rush to the Merk house after she heard Lucca’s name. It meant that the situation right now was not some small matter.

"She is now being severely tortured because she as a Dragner lost her ability to ride her Pal... Although she gave excuses like being unwell; in fact, the problem is much more serious. Since she was unable to ride her Pal, she secluded herself in her dormitory. Recently, there were many students who began to show concern about Lucca’s problem."

"I see...."

It was not rare for a breeder to be unable to ride his Pal. For example, illnesses, injuries, etc and many other strange things could be the reason. At the school assembly, "That rumor" that Raymond said could be this.

“Don’t tell me that because she couldn’t ride, and thus…”

An ominous possibility brushed through Ash's mind.

"That's not impossible... no one can guarantee anything, that’s why I’m so anxious."

After finishing this sentence, Rebecca kept silent. The group rushed into the dorm, walked down the hallway and climbed the stairs.

Soon, Rebecca stopped in front of a door. It was located at the end of the corridor on the third floor.

The name list beside the door showed only the name Lucca Sarlinen. The basic class dormitory were generally three person bedrooms, it appeared that she was living alone.

Leaving the question aside, the main focus was on the source of the smoke.

In fact, some visible white smoke could be seen floating out from the cracks around the door.

Compared to the big commotion, the amount of smoke could only be regarded as insignificant.

"Lucca! Answer me!"

Rebecca knocked on the door, but there still wasn't any response from inside.

"I’m going to open the door!"

Rebecca put the key in the keyhole. With some 'rattling' sound of metal, the door unlocked. Once the door was opened, the white smoke poured into the corridor.

Rebecca entered the room followed by Ash. Most of the smoke drifted into the corridor after the door was opened.

Ash looked around the room.

The room was cramped with all kinds of dried plants, which did not look like a girl's room. To force a description, this was more like a pharmacist’s workroom.

To Ash's surprise, in addition to the furniture that the dormitory provided, the room also had some working tables. They must have been Lucca’s private property.

In the center of the room, there was a low round table, which was of a design that wasn't normally seen in the Knight Country and the Kingdom.

In addition, the surprising number of flower pots made the others curious. Flower pots were lined from the wall side to the window side of the room. Each flower pot contained plants that Ash had never seen before.

The reason why she could have this amazingly large number of personal belongings in a room was that she was using a room for three alone. Although there was a double bed and a single bed by the wall, they were used to place her stuff.

"Lucca!"

Just when Rebecca shouted the room’s owner’s name...

Ash was shocked by what he saw.

A girl suspected to be Lucca was lying in the middle of the room.

The problem was, Lucca’s body was lying in a container that looked like a coffin. The base of the container was covered with a layer of soft flowers. Her hands were also folded over her chest.

The only words that could be used to describe Lucca were- it was her corpse. <ref>this sentence is originally short and made is seems like it is a dead body</ref>

"It can’t be...?"

Silvia and Jessica rushed past Ash who was muttering towards the side of the coffin.

After witnessing Lucca’s appearance, Silvia and Jessica froze.

At that point...

"Fyuaa..."

Followed by a cute yawn, the body slowly sat up.

Even though it had a sleepy look, Ash was almost scared out of his skin.

She was like a Fairy from the fairy tales.

Her whitish gold straight hair was shoulder length. Beneath the neatly trimmed fringes were a pair of big amethyst-like mysterious watery shining eyes.

Her skin was like white porcelain, which normal whiteness couldn't be compared with. On the surface, she looked like an exquisite doll. Her petite height was no different from Eco. But she gave a feeling of a dreamy easily breakable object, which was different from the lively Eco.

The most important feature, were those protruding ears that could be seen sticking out from her beautiful hair. Even the tip of her ear was pointy. Ash had long ago heard about the existence of this race, but until today, it was the first time he actually saw one.

"...Anything?"

Facing a group of stunned people, Lucca lazily looked at the faces around while speaking with a clear voice.

===Part 3===
Lucca one by one put out the flames in the incense burner and the smoke in the room slowly dissipated. The smoke seemed to be produced by the burning of a special bright dragon crystal so it was harmless.

The students outside had return to their rooms after the situation had settled down.

"To put it bluntly, the smoke was produced in the incense burner."

Lucca answered Rebecca questions. With her back facing the crowd, she covered the final incense burner’s lid.

While looking at Lucca’s small ass, Ash became surprised.

The shape of her hips could be seen through the one-piece pajamas. But right now, the focus was not on the traces of her underwear.

''-Is she...?''

Just when Ash was troubled about where he was looking, Lucca turned around and faced the rest.

"I'm sorry to give you all a shock."

Lucca was sitting on her heels<ref>正座 Seiza, a formal way of sitting.</ref> and respectfully apologize by bowing down. Her every move made people worry. Describing this in another way, she was the kind of person who would provoke the urge of others to protect her unconditionally.

"You need not apologize. It is enough as long as you're safe. But please do not light so much incense in the future, otherwise the others students could think that it was a fire."

Lucca nodded humbly while Rebecca was reminding her.

"....Rebecca words have always been right. I will try to pay more attention next time.”

"Come on, must you make the scene to look so deserted! Besides, what is that coffin about?"

"Coffin...? You are wrong. This is an Eckbald styled bed. It can be used directly in funerals; its features are very good."
[[Image:SnRK V03 057.jpg|thumb]]

"Sure enough, that’s a coffin! I can no longer bear with you, do you think as long as you give others a dreamy feel, you will be forgiven regardless of what you do? Without mentioning the rest, while facing your senpai, don’t you think that your tone of speaking is a little rude!"

"That’s enough! Lucca had always been timid and she is not like you. Don’t be too hard on her."

Jessica was angered after being scolded by Rebecca.

"Wha… I am as timid as most people are!"

Although Ash thought that she was speaking that way to make herself feel better, but it was better for him not to comment on anything.

"Excuse me, Jessica. Please be a little quiet."

Even Silvia also tried to correct Jessica this time.

"Back to the topic, president, could you ask her to re-introduce herself? After all, apart from you, all of us here have just met her for the
first time."

Rebecca nodded while smiling at Silvia’s proposal.

"Hmm, what a good idea. Lucca please introduce yourself."

Even when Rebecca asked her to self-introduce, Lucca remained silent. Her head kept on facing downwards with a timid appearance. In the end-

“I’ll make some tea.”

She suddenly stood up and hid in the kitchen.

Seeing Lucca had left, Rebecca smiled.

"She is still the same and has always been shy. I will introduce her in her place. As you had known, she is called Lucca Sarlinen. She had such an uncommon name because she is an Eckbald."

-Eckbald

Commonly known as the ‘forest Yōsei '. Since ancient times they had lived in the forest, a race with beautiful looks.

By looking at Lucca’s appearance, you would be able to know that the ‘forest Yōsei ' description fits very well. Their pointed ears were exactly the same as the Yōsei from the fairy tales.

Apart from their beautiful looks, they were also famous for their herbology. The efficiency of the herbs made by the Eckbald was acknowledged by people around the world and the market price for them was always high.

However, the most important feature of an Eckbald was neither their beautiful appearance, nor their profound knowledge of herbs.

-But as a heroic race of Dragners.

That was the reason why the Eckbalds were called Eckbald.

Why was there the need to use the past tense? Because today, the heroic legend of the Eckbalds had become the legends of yesterday.

Written in the history textbooks, because of the declining of the Dragons, the number of people who became a breeder had also declined.

At this moment, Rebecca suddenly lowered down her voice and whispered.

"Currently, Lucca is the only Eckbald in this academy. That is why all the Eckbalds in the Eckbald autonomous regions have high hopes for Lucca. But, I have to say that some of those people’s thinking are behind time..."

"Behind time?"

Silvia looked confused.

"Nn... they harbor a strong admiration over the Dragner. Since the Dragners were ordered to be involved in the Xenoglavia War, their thinking had been behind time. There are now many parents praying for their children to not become a Dragner. Especially the more affluent their family is and it is getting more and more serious. After all, most parents do not want their child to be ordered into the battlefield. "

"This issue really is no trivial matter! I really want to interrogate those people, for those who lost their admiration for the Dragners, can they call themselves the people of the Knight country!"

"Uuh... Princess? The focus is now on Lucca!"

Being reminded by Ash, Silvia blushed.

"S-Sorry, I’m a little too excited."

Silvia immediately controlled her temper.

"In short, even when bearing such a heavy burden, she was eventually just a fourteen year old girl. I hope she can get rid of the shackles of her family and happily enjoy her campus life, so please be sure to get along with Lucca."

When Rebecca summed up this conclusion-

"... Sorry, it is just some simple tea."

Lucca was back with a tray. On the tray, there were cups which were equal to the number of people. There was also hot white smoke coming from the cups.

Since it was summer, they would like to drink some cold drinks instead of tea, but they mustn’t complain about what she had specially made for them.

Lucca placed the hot teas on the low round table.

Ash was slightly not used to it. Because he experienced drinking tea while sitting on the ground. However, since Eco's birth, Ash had been sleeping on the ground, so he could still accept the idea of drinking tea on the ground. Rebecca on the other hand was very relaxed.

However, Silvia and Jessica couldn't seem to accept the habit of sitting on the ground, They sat on the bed while holding their hot tea.

Although the beds were also filled with debris, they still managed to squeeze out a space for two girls.

Ash also took a cup of hot tea. Judging from the rugged shape, this cup should have been made personally. It is probably an item from her hometown.

The thing that made the others worry was the steaming dark green liquid in the cups. Maybe it was mixed with various herbs; the liquid exuded a strong smell.

Ash casually turned around for a glance and found out that Rebecca was already drinking. The way she was drinking can be called heroic.

"That, I would like to ask... What tea is this?"

After being asked by Ash, Lucca held her cup and stayed silent for a moment. For such a simple question, why did she even need to think? Ash
became increasingly uneasy.

"This tea was created by me... so it has no name. But I'm sure that it has the effect for enhancing one’s energy after drinking."

"The effect… Of enhancing one’s energy...!"

After listening to Lucca’s description Jessica reacted. She shoved her cup of tea at Ash and looked at him with a pair of pleading eyes.

"I beg you, Ash-sama! Please drink my share! Then please give me your sperm!"

"How could you say such shameless words....! Don’t you have some shame? Any sense of shame!

Silvia who was red in the face commented on Jessica.

"Ara, why does Princess want to even bother with me?"

"It is because you're too shameless! As a lady of the Knight Country, can’t you show some modesty!"

"Is it really just because of this...?"

"O-Otherwise is there any other reason?"

While the two kept on quarreling, Ash on the other side had made up his mind to finish it as if he was drinking poison.

''Glup...''

Ash felt like he was drinking mud and just barely managed to keep himself from spitting it out.

Silvia and Jessica also tried to follow. But they both looked a lot healthier before they started drinking. Only Rebecca alone was unaffected...

"Anyway, Lucca. How are you now?"

"It seems that I still can’t."

Lucca distress-fully answered Rebecca’s question.

"That... I heard that you seemed to have lost the ability to ride your Pal. Do you have any clue for the reason it happened?"

Ash asked with a calm tone and Lucca murmured.

"...I do not know, but I have not forgotten the riding method."

"Otherwise, what else could it be?"

"It is... Gawain is rejecting me."

After a simple explanation, Lucca remained silent. Perhaps she lacked emotions, her face was as expressionless as a doll.

So Rebecca answered the questions in Lucca’s place.

"Gawain had been rejecting Lucca for three months. Until now, we have yet to find solutions to this problem."

"Since the reason is still unknown, it is no wonder that nothing can be done. So we can only wait and see how will it progress, no?"

Jessica looked disappointed.

"No, the problem mustn’t continue to drag on."

Rebecca suddenly became serious.

"The point is the Astral that links Lucca and Gawain had been cut off. If we continue to wait, then Gawain’s life would be in danger."

The sudden development made Ash speechless.

===Part 4===
After leaving the Merk house and breaking up from the group of student council members, Ash went to the city alone.

He intended to buy crepes for Eco as an apology for coming home late because it was Eco’s favorite food.

The works in St Durham Square had been successfully completed and the crowds there were back like the old times. Ash soon found a street vendor selling crepes, and asked the vendor to wrap up the vanilla flavored crepes in a wrapping paper.

Written on notice given out by the vendor was the message about a new chocolate banana flavored crepe that was going to be launched. ''I must tell Eco about this when I return''- Ash while thinking so, walked back to his home.

===Part 5===
Back on the school grounds, after passing by the dragon homes, Ash again began to think about Lucca’s problem.

''-Astral.''

It was a must substance for the creatures on this planet to sustain their life. It was said that, Astral was the main reason for the declining of the Dragons.

Even the great Dragons couldn't supply Astral to their bodies themselves. Thanks to the connection between the humans who were rich in Astral since birth, the dragons were able to survive.

According to Rebecca, Gawain's body was getting weaker by the day. It was now eating food with high content of Astral to survive... The problem was that the content of Astral in the food was very little. If the dragons could survive through this method, then they would not need to bow down to the humans.

''Is there anything that I can be of help...?'' Ash was thinking deeply.

Lucca was now being tested as a breeder and as a Dragner. The reason she was shutting herself in was mainly because of the pressure.

...In the end, Ash had returned to the boys’ dormitory, the Apollo home before he could come up with a method.

===Part 6===
It was evening. Eco had passed her day alone in the room of the Apollo home. Except, Cosette who was worried about her and had visited her for a few times, she hadn't spoken to anyone.

Fortunately, the summer sun was very strong and the cushions and sheets that Eco wet were completely dried. Eco, who usually let Ash do the housework alone, had brought in the clothes on her own.

This was also her first attempt to make her bed. Although the results can only be considered so-so, but she still had completed it. Eco lay down on the bed lazily. The air is full of the smell of the sun.

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

The embarrassment of wetting her bed this morning had left a scar in her heart. For the highly noble dragon to wet her bed, this was unforgivable.

After all, how could she do something so embarrassing?

"That dream... What is it about?"

Yes, the culprit is the ominous nightmare.

The nine fiercely frightening eyes.

The sticky tentacles that was all over.

Just by recalling them in her mind, Eco's body was trembling with fear.

She crawled out from the bed and quickly locked the door and windows. Even when it was a hot day, she still took out the fur blankets for the closet.

Next, Eco was back to the bed and covered her whole body with the blanket.

Her limbs were madly trembling. ''I’m scared. I’m really scared. Why would I be frightened to this extend?''

''By the way... Before I woke up, the thing seems to say something.''

''It seems to be a very important, but...''

"...I really can’t remember anything."

Eco rolled over while being wrapped in the blanket.

After rolling left and right for a while, she became angry.

"Damn him...! Why is he not back yet?"

Eco started to complain about Ash. Logically speaking, the school had finished but Ash has still not yet returned. He should have been taken away by the student council as a slave.

''-Why doesn’t he even think that I had been waiting for him to come home for a long time!''

Right at this moment, Eco suddenly came to her senses.

"No, no! I-I didn’t... Who will wait for that type of person!"

Her cheeks were red hot. Eco told herself that she had misunderstood; her cheeks were hot because of the blanket that she had been covering herself with.

It was not because of Ash’s absence she had become lonely. She had just becomes a little timid because of that nightmare.

Having said that, Eco inevitably still thinks that, if Ash had rushed home immediately, she wouldn’t need to be afraid...

Moreover, they were linked together by the Astral. They were partners who signed the sacred contract. Logically speaking, it was their right to accompany each other.

In other words, Ash is the one who should be condemned!

Just when Eco came to that conclusion... someone with a'' 'Kon Kon' '' knocked at the door.

"......!"

Eco literally, jumped up on the spot.

===Part 7===
Ash was confused because there was no reply after he knocked the door.

"Where had that Eco run to...?"

Just as Ash reluctantly reached into his pocket to pull out his keys, the door suddenly sprang open.

"It hurts!"

Because his forehead was hit by the door, he was now in pain.

Then Eco, like a cannon ball, rushed to him from the room.

"Uwaa!"

Ash fell to the ground after the impact. His Crepes also fell to the ground.

Because of the lightning speed Eco also fell into Ash's arms. The feel of her soft skin was passed through the thin summer clothing.

"A-Are you alright?"

Ash asked in surprise, but Eco refused to answer even a word. She just buried her face in his chest. Whenever she exhaled on his chest, Ash became nervous.

For Eco to show such attitude, Ash began to worry about her.

"D-Don’t tell me you are drunk? Didn’t I tell you a few times already to not touch the Ansal grass?"

After talking to her in a stern tone, Eco finally replied.

"....Right, I'm drunk. What complaint do you have about it?"

It was rare for Eco to talk in such ambiguous tone.

"Eco...?"

Even while she verbally declared herself to be "drunk", Eco was obviously awake. If she was really drunk, the things that she would do would not be limited to this extent.

Fortunately, there were no other students in the corridor right now. So Ash could temporarily condone Eco’s behavior. Eco’s forehead was next to Ash's chest and her body was trembling without control. She was almost like a child. What could she possibly be frightened by?

Though Ash still does not understand why she was so frightened, he still put his hand on her head to comfort her.

"Rest assured, I am here."

The two of them hugged each other for quite some time. After a long while, Eco finally stopped trembling.

===Part 8===
After a while, Eco released Ash and flew back into the room.

"Uuu ~ ~!"

She seems to be troubled. Perhaps embarrassed by her own actions just now, Ash felt that her every movement was very entertaining.

The most surprising thing is that she actually took the initiative to make the bed. Even that meant to be a praise, but still the work done cannot be something called good. But still, Ash was glad from the bottom of his heart. Because of that push, Eco could now automatically do the house chores.

“That’s right; I had bought some snacks for you."

Ash cheekily smiles, while placing a bag of Crepes on Eco’s hands.

"This is the vanilla flavored crepes. It is your favorite, right?"

Once said, Eco’s stomach growled loudly. Perhaps it is rude to describe the sound was earth-shattering, but the way it sound could only be sent out by a dragon.

Eco suddenly blushed.

"M-My favorite flavor is Ansal!"

Then she snappily said as if to cover up the embarrassment. Looking at Eco who was finally back to her usual reactions, Ash finally calmed down.

Eco, as if she had risen to heaven, tore out the wrapping papers. Although the shapes had changed because they were dropped on the floor just now, but Eco didn’t even mind one bit and just gave it a bite.

"How does it taste?"

Eco didn’t answer. She can be seen with her mouth stuffed with crepes and stay motionless.

"....Anything?"

Without warning, there were tears dripping from her eyes which made Ash panic.

"Hey hey, does it really taste so bad to the point you need to cry?"

"That’s not it..."

Eco shook her head and silently ate the crepes.

===Part 9===
Eco who ate three crepes alone sat on the bed and quietly explain the whole story.

"This morning ... I had a dream."

"What dream?"

"A horrible nightmare... It seems that I was attacked by a Necromancia. It stretched it’s tentacles towards m-me... The reason that I wet the bed... I am afraid it is because of this."

Eco shivered and grabbed her shoulders with both hands. It must be terrifying in her dream.

Ash wants to try helping Eco to overcome her fear. After a deep thought, he finally stretched out his trembling hand and move towards her shoulders from behind.

He then gently held those glass-like shoulders.

Not only did Eco not refuse, but she was also relieved and leaned her body on Ash’s. This is the first time Ash saw her to be so cute and docile.

Under such warmth, his heart was racing.

"The Necromancia had been beaten by us! You need not fear it!"

"No, it wasn't Necromancia."

Eco feebly shook her head.

"It true that the monster looks like Necromancia... but it is not the same. That monster... is not something that can be defeated easily, not to mention it has nine eyes."

Nine eyes. Just imagining it will give people the creeps.

"How should it describe it... it was gigantic and its look was unknown... it is absolutely the incarnation of evil. And.... the most incredible thing is that I shouldn’t have recognized that monster... but I feel that we have encountered each other several times before."

"How could that be? If you came in contact with such a dangerous monster, I would have found out. After all, we live under the same roof."

"I guess you're right."

"It was just a dream. I advise you not to think too much about it."

"But..."

Eco looked unusually depressed.

At this time, what should I do?

While clutching Eco’s shoulder, Ash was secretly thinking.

...... The memories of his hometown suddenly surfaced.

Ash has a sister. When she was a child, she often came crying to Ash and complain about her nightmare. Whenever she had a nightmare, his sister would sneak into his room.

Ash could still remember his sister hugging his personal pillow while crying. Once Ash agreed to let his sister squeeze into his bed, she murmured while half crying and half laughing, "I’m no longer scared”..

''-I know what to do!''

Ash had made up his decision and was ready to perform tonight's operation.

===Part 10===
Once it was time for lights-out, the students in the dormitory put out the Bright Dragon Crystal lights.

Ash was no exception. If he was to be caught with the lights on, he will be lambasted by the warden.

Eco as usual was lying on the bed naked.

He will sleep on the same bed with Eco tonight- this is Ash’s plan.

However once it is time, all he could think about was Eco’s naked body. To build up the courage to sneak into a naked girl’s bed, it was near impossible.

However, today’s Eco can’t be compared with her past. The Eco now was a poor frightened girl who had a nightmare.

As long as he takes her as his sister, then there is no longer any problem. Even when she was naked but the room is still dark. If he didn’t focus his thought on this, then this problem will be immediately solved.

After Ash ensured himself, he crawled out from the futon from the floor.

With a pillow under his arm, he walked towards the side of the bed.

"Please excuse me!"

After a slight notice, Ash got into the empty space next to Eco. The thin summer blanket felt somewhat nice and warm because of Eco’s body temperature. The only thing is, make sure not to touch Eco’s naked body

"W-What are you doing? What are you up to!"

Once she discovered Ash climbed on the bed, with a look of horror, Eco rushed to keep their distance.

"Do not worry. I’ll stay with you for tonight."

"What?"

Ash was confused. He did not expect such a response from Eco. He thought that she would be grateful. His confidence that he previously build up is collapsing.

"Err, I just want to accompany you while sleeping so you’ll no longer wet the bed-"

"....What did you say?"

Eco slowly sits up.

Although the room was too dark to see Eco’s naked body...... but her curves can still be seen. But now is not the time to feel nervous. It was now an alarming situation. And Ash’s instinct is now ringing.

"Do you really think...? I might commit the same embarrassment?"

Eco's voice trembled. She was apparently very furious about it.

Until Ash found out that he had spoken the wrong things, it was already too late to take it back.

"Err-err... In short please calm down first. I didn’t meant anything bad for saying those things-"

Unfortunately, Ash failed to finish his sentence.

"Don’t get carried away!”

With a ''‘Donk!’'', he was hit by a violent kick.

''‘Gwak!’''

Ash as if being hit by a hammer was knocked back for quite a distance. Fortunately, he fell on his futon and at least he was avoided from feeling the pain for being hit directly on the floor.

"Hmph!"

After Eco snappily grunted, she lay back on her bed.

It seems that Ash had made a huge mistake. But having said that, since there she had the spirit to cause such a fuss, perhaps she had gotten rid of the nightmare.

At least, Eco who sent Ash flying with a kick is back to her formal self.

===Part 11===
The next day after school...

President Rebecca, Silvia of the discipline, Max of the accounting and as the replacement for the secretary, Ash and Jessica of the general affairs as well as the mascot Eco were gathered in the Student Council’s office.

Secretary Lucca and the vice president who was like a genius from the outer world were also absent today.

Perhaps last night's incident had a positive effect; Eco is back to her old self. She wore a summer uniform borrowed from Cosette and attended the meeting as if she had something to do with it.

Eco’s duty was just simply playing the role of a mascot which there is no need to attend meetings, but she was back to her old-self who didn’t let anyone to leave her by the side. Of course Eco’s well-behaved attitude yesterday was full of charm, but the lively Eco still best suited her. Ash thought so.

"Today's topic is on the student council secretary, Lucca Sarlinen."

Rebecca with her sharp eyes looked at the faces around.

"Sooner or later she would become the soul to lead the school. The she right now could not be troubled by this obstacle. I personally strongly hope to solve the problem as soon as possible and take her to participate in the training camp."

The first person to respond to this was Jessica.

"I can understand that you are worried about her, but what can we do to help? I think that it is better to hand this problem for Angela-sensei to handle..."

Angela anyhow has the research authority for dragons. She should have the ability to teach in the highest institution and is extremely talented. Ash also agreed with Jessica’s views.

"Unfortunately, I had discussed with Angela-sensei about it. Basically, the person who is responsible for finding out that the astral between Lucca and Gawain had been cut off was none other that Angela-sensei."

"Based on Angela-sensei’s judgment, what is the cause of it?"

Once Ash asked, Rebecca shrugged her shoulders.

"It seems that she also can do nothing about it."

"How could...!"

For those who did research on the dragons, there is almost not one who is in the same league as Angela. When the well versed Angela can’t do anything, what the student council can be of any help?

"The situation is indeed desperate, but we cannot just stand aside idly. If it go on like this, sooner or later it would be a certain death for Gawain who runs out of Astral."

The heavy words made Ash shudder again.

"All of you are elite students; do you have any good suggestion?"

Jessica is the first to raise her hands.

"In times like this, we should ask ‘Silver Knight’-sama to make his appearence! On matter how difficult the situation is, ‘Silver Knight’-sama can use his wisdom, courage and magic to solve them! Right, Ash-sama! "

"The ‘Silver Knight’ that you are talking about is the one in the novel, right? To confuse him with me would be a little too..."

"Waa... Even the humble Ash-sama looks handsome!"

Jessica was not bothered by the presence of others and hugged Ash’s head tightly. Because of Ash was sitting on the chair, his face sunk into Jessica’s breast.

"...Uwaa!"

In contrast to her slender waist, Jessica's breast is rather large. The breasts changes its shape softly and had covered Ash’s cheek.

"Wait a minute! This guy is my meat slave! If you dare to continue to stick to him, I’ll have you crushed!"

Upon seeing this, Eco immediately suddenly stood up. Incidentally, the ‘meat slave’ here has absolutely no indecent meaning. It means to supply its master food when its master was hungry.

"T-To have such unsightly behavior in the sacred student council office... As a knight, you should have known that there must be a distance between men and women! This is the Lautreamont family’s rules!"

Even Silvia was also feeling angry and stood up straight.

"Enough!."

Fortunately, Rebecca intervened to prevent anything bad from happening.

Silvia and Jessica returned to their seats. Perhaps Eco instinctively sensed some danger coming from Rebecca, she obediently sits down and didn’t even dare to say a thing.

"Jessica, can’t you calm down a little?"

Rebecca warned by calling her name, but Jessica just snappily answered.

"Hmph... You only know how to complain about others, what about yourself? You only know how to seek opinions from others and didn’t even give your own views...... you are not acting like Rebecca Randall. Or is it that even the ‘Scarlet Empress’ is also unable to do anything?"

"My idea? It is not that I don’t have any, but it is risky."

"Risky... what do you mean?"

Jessica was surprised.

Somehow, Rebecca gave a stabbing like look to Ash. Her emerald eyes were intently staring straight at him which almost stops his heartbeat.

"Ash, you are said to be able to ride all dragons. Even the Necromancia is no exception, right?'

"Rebecca... san?"

Ash gulped, waiting for Rebecca to give out her order.

"Go and ride Gawain."

"What did you say!"

"When you are riding the Necromancia, you have the sense of its will, right?"

"Uh... just faintly."

The memories resurfaced. In fact, Ash had heard the dead grey dragon spoke. Even though it had happened at the beginning of last month, Ash still felt like it had happened for a long time.

"So, I hope you can use the same technique on Gawain. Gawain might be willing to open his heart to you."

Ash remembered about Lucca.

Even yesterday was a weekday, she still hid herself in her room in broad daylight, wearing pajamas. Perhaps she is poor in expressing her emotions; she doesn’t look as if she was greatly depressed. However, she should have received a huge blow. Maybe, this has a thing or two that is related to the Eckbald.

''-I want to save her.''

Ash sincerely thought so.

''Is it because I am her senior in the same school? Is it because that we are fellow breeder? A Student council's member’s responsibility?''

Those reasons cannot be denied. However, even if those factors were to be cast aside, Ash just cannot sit back and watch a helpless girl to continue languish.

Ash decided to obey his feelings deep inside.

"I understand. I am willing to gamble for it."

"Thank you for your cooperation. Then, the task is scheduled to be performed after school tomorrow-"

===Part 12===
The next day, the ringing of the noon bell also signified that the school had ended for the rest of the day. Because there will be a staff meeting in the afternoon, they only had classes for the morning session.

“Kuu… Kuu…”

Eco, who sneaked into the classroom today, occupied the seat next to Ash. Like usual, she was lying on the table fast asleep. Even when
the bell had rung, she still didn’t have signs of waking up.

"I... really don’t know how to deal with her."

Since she wanted to sleep that much, then there is no need to come to the classroom... Ash secretly complained.

Leaving the issue aside, Eco’s sleeping face was like an angel. Every time he saw her sleeping face, his heart will became soft and forgive her usual bad doings. Even Ash himself felt strange. Looking at her soft face, Ash suddenly had the thought of poking her.

"-To be peeking at a girl’s sleeping face, you really have a low taste."

For someone to suddenly speak from behind, Ash almost jumped.

"Princess?"

Many students who had begun to pack up and go home to prepare gave a surprised look to Silvia. For Silvia to start a conversation with someone in the classroom is like the sun rising from the west.

Silvia who was not bothered by the rest continued to just stare at Ash. Her ice blue coloured eyes were as if they are gently swaying.

"Do you really intend to ride... Gawain?"

"Why ask me this question now?"

"B-Because..."

Silvia looked aside, suddenly revealing an anxious look. Silvia who was usually noble and acted highly, somehow looked very cute.

Silvia suddenly blushed.

"Well, that... I-I just..."

"Just?"

"N-Nothing! Just don’t try too hard! In the end, this is Lucca and Gawain’s problem. If you intervene and result in a heavy injury... I
will never forgive you! "

Silvia finished her confusing talk, she suddenly turned around and walk off.

Her gorgeous shiny blonde hair sways gently with the wind.

Leaving a faint fragrance, Silvia marched out of the classroom.

"She... What is she angry about?"

Ash watched Silvia’s back blankly.

===Part 13===
The top floor in the center tower in the campus.

While facing the student council member who gathered in the student council office, Rebecca loudly announced:

"So, I’ll announce your work today, I’ll first go to the Seventh Dragon House and explain it to the staffs, Max is responsible to look for Angela-sensei, because basically we must have a teacher to be present while doing the job. Ash, Eco, Silvia, Jessica are to meet with Lucca. Are there any other questions?"

Jessica was the first to raise her hand and comment.

"To fetch Lucca over, a person is enough."

"Do not underestimate her. To just drag her out of her room, should cause enough trouble for you. She is an absolute indoor type<ref> This is the original text, a direct translation.</ref>, it is just that this incident had intensified her symptoms."

After listening to Rebecca's answer, Jessica sighed.

"Haa.. I understand. We will take responsibility to bring her out. Princess also doesn’t have any problems with this, right?...
Princess?"

Silvia seemed like she had just come out of her trance and raised her head to reply:

"Ah, ahh.... Understood."

Since she had spoken those confusing words in the classroom, Silvia looked lost. This made Ash worry endlessly

"So I’ll be waiting for everyone to report in the Seventh Dragon House. Members report. Kaisan!" <ref> 解散Kaisan it means to disband the meeting in a commanding tone.</ref>

===Part 14===
"Lucca-san... Lucca-san! Are you in there! Please answer me!"

Jessica was shouting while knocking. But there was no response.

"Don’t know what had happened to her?"

Jessica stiffened her face, while looking at Ash and the rest. It seems that she is not certain on what she is going to do next.

Eco who lost patience, impatiently lifted her feet.

"For a paper thin door like this, why don’t we just-"

Eco intends to use her abnormal dragon strength to break the door.

"Hold on!"

Ash quickly stopped Eco.

"Do you know who is going to pay for it after you break them! Please do not do anything necessary!"

"Hey! How dare you try to order me when it is obviously me who is taking care of you? Meat slave!"

"Who is your meat slave!"

"What are you arguing about...?"

Silvia who arrived a little later was dumbfounded when Ash and Eco were quarreling. Silvia was holding a silver key.

"I guessed that might be the case, so I borrowed a spare key from the warden."

"Just what is expected of our princess."

Jessica took the key and inserted it into the key hole.

"Lucca-san I am going to open the door!"

The door opened with a ‘''Click''’.

Jessica march into the room.

Sure enough, Lucca is fast asleep in the coffin.

Although the room was filled with the smell of incense like yesterday, but she seems to have followed Rebecca’s instruction to control the amount of smoke.

"I don’t really get her... to be sleeping in broad daylight."

After Jessica complained, she pulled back the half-opened curtains. The noon sunlight had filled the room.

"Uuu... Nnn... Stop... I’m going to melt..."

Lucca muttered and then rolled over. The hem of her one-piece pajamas was lifted and her snow-white lower body was exposed.

"......!"

Lucca was without her panties. Ash saw her small and rounded hips. On her ass the contract with the dragons- Seikoku can be seen.

"Hey! I forbid you from staring!"

Silvia grabbed Ash's head and twist it regardless.

"Ash-sama you musn’t peek! If you like hips this much, then it is fine for you to look at mine!"

On the other hand, Jessica was lecturing something that is off topic to him while helping Lucca with her pajamas.

"Uuu..."

At this time, Lucca finally woke up. She, like an electric doll slowly sat up. Then, with her dreamy eyes, she looked around with a shocked expression..

"....Who are you?"

"We just met yesterday!"

Ash commented. She really is a perverse girl.

Logically speaking, everyone will get a shock when some stranger walks into their room. But, she is completely unmoved. Is this a behavior of an Eckbald or Lucca’s own- ''It feels like the latter, or else the Eckbald would have perished long ago''.

"Ah, I remember. You are Johnny?"

"Who is Johnny! That name has nothing to do with me. I am Ash, Ash!"

"S-Sorry."

Lucca disappointedly lowered her shoulders.

"Hey! This is outrageous. How dare you bully a girl from a lower grade! Buzz off!"

Silvia who looked flustered stepped forward. She with her golden thread-like hair and highly tone ordered her without any explanation.

"Lucca Sarlinen we need cooperation from you and Gawain. We will immediately head to the Seventh Dragon House, please get ready."

Lucca looked straight into Silvia's face as if she is going to pierce a hole in her face. After a long while, Lucca murmured:

"Who are you?"

“Wha…!”

After hearing that, Silvia turned pale. She probably didn’t expect someone from this school to not recognize Silvia Lautreamont the fourth princess from the Knights royal family.

Silvia as if she had suffered a knock, moved around unsteadily, while muttering facing the wall.

"T-There is some student who does not recognize me... Is my presence such unimportant... This me is not fit to be a royal... I'm ashamed to face Onee-sama who come here to motivate me..."

"That, Princess are you okay?"

Jessica rushed to Silvia’s side.

While letting Jessica to comfort Silvia, the hope is now on Ash and Eco. Regardless of what, they must drag her out from her bed to the Seventh Dragon House.

At this time, Lucca seemed to have a strong interest in Eco. She suddenly cling to her waist tightly.

“Huh…!”

Eco who was attacked lost her footing and was dragged into the coffin shaped bed by Lucca.

"Wait... What are you doing!"

Eco naturally became furious, but Lucca was not bothered by it. She held Eco who fell on the bed and drag her closer. Then, she stared at her head closely. It seems that she had taken interest in Eco’s pair of horns.

"This is not decoration... It grew out from the head?"

"What if it is! This is my proof of being a Dragon!"

"Cute."

"Huh?"

"Very cute."

"I-Is it......?"

Eco was probably shy and thus gave up on resisting. Lucca as if taking care of a baby, gently stroked Eco’s horn. Halfway through that, Lucca suddenly came out with a ridiculous request.

"Can you give me your horns?"

Eco became transfixed in fear, but then it was followed by her expression of ferocity.

"What? Want me to give the my horns to you... you're dreaming!"

"Can’t you pull them down?"

"Pull them down! What do you think a dragon horn is!"

"Otherwise, can I taste it?"

"What? Taste?... Hyaa!"

Eco gave an eccentric voice and then remained motionless.

Ash was also dumbfounded by what he was seeing.

Lucca hugged Eco from behind, then bit the horn on the head. The way she is tasting Eco’s horn is like a small animal nibbling its owner.

"Ah... don’t bite my horn...!"

Surprisingly, Eco didn’t even resist, but she showed an exhausted expression and let her do whatever she wants. The seductive expression shown on her face made Ash’s heart race. Apart from her face, even her limbs were with a vague hint of pink.

"W-What are you doing to a honourable and noble dragon... what are you doing... W-Watch out or else I will trample you... Ahh,
huff...!"

Her cheeks were red, judging from her panting. Perhaps she was trying her best to resist.
[[Image:SnRK V03 002-003.jpg|thumb|'' ''S-Stop...... P-Please spare me...... Awu!'' Eco’s body shuddered and lifted her chin, desperately trying to escape. '']]

"S-Stop...... P-Please spare me...... Awu!"

Eco’s body shuddered and lifted her chin. Desperately trying to escape, she inadvertently bent her knees which lifted her skirt. The white
cloth can be seen.

"-!"

Ash was dumbfounded but he quickly looked away. Although her position which makes others imagination run wild, but Eco who was under Lucca’s
control didn’t realize that her panties were exposed.

Two girls were entangled in the coffin-like bed.

That sense will be a person’s nose bleed. Anyway, who would have thought by biting her horn, she will become weak... Ash concealed his surprise after finding out another Eco’s weakness.

"...It really has the taste of a dragon."

Soon, Lucca who was finally satisfied released Eco.

Eco seizing that chance, immediately jumped out of the coffin and hid behind Ash. She just stuck a face out and stared fiercely at Lucca. Looking like she was almost out of breath, it was as if she was a beast that lost her fight.

"Well... I'll continue with my sleep."

Lucca is totally not bothered by Eco’s sight. She comfortably lay herself flat in the coffin.

"You still want to sleep!"

Ash back to his sense grabbed Lucca’s shoulder. Although he was shocked by how thin her shoulders are, but now is not the time to retreat.

"Rebecca-san is waiting at the Seventh Dragon House. I beg you, can you please immediately get ready? It is for you and Gawain."

"... What are you going to do to my Pal?"

Lucca's eyes soon become serious.

Ash nodded to her firmly and try to calm her down.

"Rest assured, we will not do anything bad to Gawain."

''But rather I am a little worried that I’ll be thrown up far away by Gawain...'' Ash silently added in his heart.

Lucca stare at Ash’s face for a good while. Then, she finally got up from the coffin.

"...Alright, I'll get ready right now."

"Thank you."

Ash who was relieved tried to express his gratitude to her-

However, Lucca without a warning put her hand on the button on her one-piece pajamas. Regardless of Ash’s presence, she unbuttoned them one by one. From her collarbone to her chest area... Her ceramic-like skin was exposed bit by bit.

"Wait a minute!"

Ash rushed to seize Lucca’s on the shoulders. Lucca stopped what she was doing and looked at Ash face confusedly.

"What?"

''It is wrong for her to look at me in the eyes...'' Ash secretly groans. Her delicate and charming appearance, nearly had Ash entranced.Her facial features was like a doll, her amethyst-like eyes, pointed ears, and a delicate body that looks like it will disappear with just a touch and a vanilla-like fragrance... It was like her everything is with a mysterious charm, as if something that does not belong to this world.

Ash forced himself to look away, and talk to her in a tone for disciplining children:

"I-I’ll look aside, please hurry up and change, okay?"

Even though Lucca still looked confused, at least she understood his sincerity and gently nodded.

Ash was relieved and turned his back against Lucca. He caught a glimpse of Silvia still being taken care by Jessica from the corner of his eyes. At the same time, she was constantly reciting something like a curse.

"F-For someone to actually not know the princess... which means... My royal family's dignity must be further strengthened..."

In addition, Eco behind Ash was furious.

"How dare she bite my precious dragon horn... T-T-This is a great insult...!"

===Part 15===
"...I'm ready."

After hearing Lucca’s voice, Ash took a deep breath.

From the time Ash heard the sound of the clothes rubbing against each other from his back, he unconsciously held his breath. It can be seen just how tense the situation is just now..

Moreover, Lucca who had stayed in her room for a long time didn’t knew what season it is right now. She started to wear her winter uniforms initially. Therefore some additional time was spent to put on her summer uniform.

Ash intently looked at Lucca who was now in her uniform.

The beauty of a yōsei together with the familiar uniform, with this combination, Lucca looked like the world's most delicate and charming girl.

"Hey... Where are you staring at?"

Eco who was finally back to her old self, angrily stared at Ash.

"Y-You mustn’t misunderstand! I absolutely didn’t look at her with a perverted thought!"

"...Is it so?"

Ash who cannot stand Eco’s condemnation, walked towards the door.

"Well, let's go. Rebecca-san and the rest are still waiting for us."

After hearing Ash's urging, Silvia also finally looked upwards.

Then, Lucca said something.

"...You had stepped on it."

Lucca’s sight was set on Ash’s foot.

Ash confusedly looked down toward his foot-

"Uwa!"

In the end, he nearly jumped on the spot. His right foot had stepped on something. No matter how you look at it, it appears to be a girl’s pair of panties.

A white pair of panties with pale-green stripes.

Opposite of the panicking Ash, Lucca gracefully stepped forward and picked it up. Then, she spread it out in front of Ash. Without hesitating, she lifts up a leg and put it in.

"-!"

The moment Lucca lifted her knee, the things under her skirt was almost seen. Ash was sweating in shocked. The school uniform skirt was originally designed to be short.

The next second, there was a murderous intend behind Ash.

"It appears... Slaves that do not know how to behave have to be given punishment."

Eco’s body was trembling.

"An enemy of all women must receive the sanctions of the hammer of death!"

Silvia swept away her previous depression and a raging fire was ignited behind.

"Please stop, that was unintentional!"

Ash’s justification was in vain, Eco and Silvia were kicking with their might as well as giving him the iron fist.

"I’m going to crush you!"

“This is the family rules of the Lautreamont family!”

===Part 16===
"It's really strange; the experiment had obviously not yet begun... how come you were badly bruised?"

Rebecca, who was waiting at the Seventh Dragon House, was stunned after seeing his condition which is like rags and asked him.

Behind Rebecca was Angela who was wearing a white robe and Max.

"Nothing important, err... Ah haha."

Ash can only use giggle. But Eco and Silvia were furious. Seeing their faces, Rebecca smiled.

"There is no need to act violent just because of being jealous... why don’t you two try to learn how to be more lady-like? If your personalities are so crude, then you must beware that Ash will be dragged into bed by Jessica?"

Upon hearing Rebecca, Silvia reacted and her face became red hot.

"Dragged into bed- How could the student council president say such dirty words!"

"Haha. I just thought you now look a little more like a royal... After seeing your useless appearance, Princess Veronica may soon come looking for you."

Silvia became pale and shut her mouth.

It was said that a horrible Ogre will capture disobedient kids - this type of story has long been rumored in Ash's hometown. But for Silvia, the Ogre is Veronica.

Angela finally spoke with a serious tone as if she was representing everyone:

"Rebecca-san has explained to me the whole incident. This challenge is considered to be foolhardy... Are you ready for it Ash-san?"

Ash felt a chill for being looked through the spectacles. However, if he get scared just because of this, then he will be unable to proceed with today’s main objective.

Because the thing that Ash was going to challenge was nothing but the great Maestro.

"I’ll be alright."

"If it is so, then remember to put on your dragsuit! You still remember the rules for the dragon riding academy right?"

Angela with a rare teacher-like attitude reminded him. But Ash had no intention of wasting valuable time on changing clothes.

"Never mind it. I just want to try to have a conversation as a human with Gawain."

===Part 17===
The Seventh Dragon House is purpose-built for the use of the Maestro. At the same time, it is a sacred place in the campus. Even the building itself looks more luxurious than the others dragons house. Judging by the appearance alone, it gave a feeling of a villa owned by a noble.

Currently there are five Maestros at the Seventh Dragon House.

By rummaging the Ansarivan Academy's history, it was rare for the Seventh Dragon House to be this grand. It also indirectly proves just how unusual is the Maestro’s existence.

Rebecca's Pal Cú Chulainn is the one who shines the most. It is as if it was only right to do so because it was sitting in the middle of the Seventh Dragon House.

Facing of the huge sacred body, one cannot help but became amazed. In contrast with that huge body, even large ceilings designed for an adult dragon feels low.

Apart from Cú Chulainn and Gawain, there Silvia’s Lancelot and Max's Arianrhod were here. For Ash, these two Maestros can be considered as familiar faces. Incidentally, the vice president's Pal was not present.

"Gawain is here."

Led by Angela, Ash and the rest came to the innermost section of the dragon house.

Gawain was lying on the ground looking weak. Although its physical size was of a young dragon, but its silvery white fur is the proof of a Maestro. The dragon horn which looked like a stag is also quite unique and made it looked mighty. But perhaps it was weak, there was no majestic feeling.

Ash was worried about Gawain by just looking at it.

"Angela-sensei is there any hope... For a cure?"

"Right now, it's not sick. I think the cause of this is the link between it and Lucca-san had been broken off. As long as there is a supplement of Astral its spirit will be restored."

Ash was slightly reassured after hearing Angela’s answer.

"Lets us begin now -"

Ash wanted to rushed to Gawain, however ..

"Hold on, Ash."

Someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. After looking back, it turned out to be Rebecca.

"We’ll let Lucca and Gawain meet first. Come here Lucca, say hello to Gawain."

Under Rebecca's urging, Lucca timidly stepped forward. But after a few steps, she stopped.

''Surely, as an owner, she could touch its fur...'' Even when Ash thought so, but it seems that Lucca had no such intention. Perhaps after hiding herself for three months, there is probably a barrier between her and Gawain.

Or, could she have any better reason for not standing close to Gawain......?

"Gawain..."

Upon hearing Lucca calling its name, Gawain coldly turn its head away and treated her like a stranger.

"Sure enough, there is no other way…."

Lucca was dejected and turned her back against Gawain. She can be seen crying and intended to run away.

"Stop! Lucca!"

But Silvia had blocked her path. Don’t know whether she was angered by Gawain’s attitude, Silvia pulled a long face.

"Listen clearly; the ideal relationship between humans and dragons is definitely not harmony, but the status itself. Lucca.... Did you spoil Gawain in the past? From its attitude earlier, Gawain did not seem to treat you as its master. "

Lucca lowered her head without a word. After a long while she finally raised her head.

"Perhaps what you are saying is right… But to me… it is an important family member... I don’t think that there is a need for a master-servant relationship...."

Silvia sighed.

"Me too. I love Lancelot as a family. Yet, it is because of love, so sometimes we need to be strict and discipline them. You mustn’t forget this."

"I’m... going back."

After leaving this sentence, Lucca rushed out of the dragon house. Ash clearly sees the moment when she ran away, her eyes shed tears.

"I'll give it a try."

As if to sweep away the awkward atmosphere, this time, Ash had officially confronted Gawain.

Ignoring the gradually approaching Ash, Gawain remains motionless. Is it because it doesn’t acknowledge Ash? Or does it not have the strength to bother with Ash...?

Being anticipated and gazed by the crowds, Ash carefully prepared.

Gawain didn’t seem to be on alert. This time should be an easy win.... Ash who was confidence made a leap.

Gawain was not equipped with a saddle. Like riding on a bare horse, Ash went up Gawain back. Because there were no reins, he can only cling to its neck to maintain his center of gravity.

"Alright, I will start...!"

At this moment, Gawain gave a fierce roar and was fiercely resisting. Being shook vigorously, making Ash's body sent flying out.

"Urggh...!"

After being spun in mid-air, Ash abruptly fell to the ground. Even when he managed to make a roll to reduce the time of impact. But the strong impact made him feel suffocated. In between his back and his waist, the pain slowly spread.

Gawain who threw out Ash was lying down obediently.

"Ash!"

Rebecca and the other arrived while looking miserable.

"I-I'm fine..."

Ash force himself to sit up. Although his pain had not yet disappeared, at least there was nothing abnormal with his bones. The grounds at the dragon house are soft, which is fortunate for him.

"Ahh, Ash-sama...! My Ash-sama is...!"

"It is alright, it is alright. Please move aside."

Angela pushed the panicking Jessica to one side. With both hands she held Ash’s cheeks and ask questions.

"Did you knock your head?"

"No... My head is all right."

"Don’t look down on me, I have a doctor's license. If you feel any pain or even uncomfortable, try to be honest and tell me!"

"Really... so sensei have a doctor's license?"

"Only that it is a veterinarian’s."

Ash revealed a bitter smile. Angela probably took a veterinarian license because she wants to study about the dragons.

After everyone knew that Ash was alright, the group of people become relieved.

"Sorry Ash, it was because of my ridiculous proposal..."

Rebecca revealed a rare dignified expression and apologizes to Ash. Which made Ash felt uneasy.

"W-What are you talking about! Challenging Gawain is entirely my own idea; Rebecca-san has done nothing wrong."

"In short, the experiment will end here. I cannot let you to continue to face the dangers."

"No, don’t rush to conclusions! I have my trump card too."

"Trump card?"

"That’s right. When I was dealing with the Necromancia I had failed again and again. Later I succeed with the use of the Ark."

Rebecca with a serious look crossed her arms.

"Hmm... I see. But Ash, as a student council president, I cannot allow you to continue to take the risks. As a teacher, Angela-san also could not permit it right?"

Being watched by Rebecca, Angela with a flirtatious smile replied:

"Me? I don’t have any comment in this. I never get tired of seeing Eco creating the Ark!"

Angela's reply is nothing like what a teacher will say. But she was initially not a teacher but a researcher. Just because she wants the opportunity to encounter with Eco, only then she became a teacher. So it is futile to have Angela acting like one.

"From sensei’s personality, I’m not surprised for you to say such things.... have you decided yet, Ash?"

"Of course, I had decided to try again."

After Ash promised, Eco explode in anger.

"Wait a minute! Who allowed you to decide anything without my permission! Again, for me to create an Ark for such a small... are you still sane!"

Ash lightly put his hand on the furious Eco’s head.

"Hey, don’t answer so quickly. What about if I treat you to vanilla crepes?"

"Hmph! I would not be bribed by those kinds of things!"

"Otherwise I’ll add in a strawberry flavored."

"W-What are you joking about! What do you think you are taking an extraordinary dragon as!"

Although Eco didn’t promise, but Ash can tell that she was slightly moved through her eyes.

"Yeah, a new flavored crepe is going to be on sale! I remember that... It is chocolate banana flavored?"

"Chocolate banana...?"

''Gulp''. Ash can clearly hear Eco’s swallowing her saliva.

The blow undoubtedly triggered Eco’s curiosity and appetite.

"...I have to tell you clearly, this is an exception!"

After struggling for a moment in her heart, Eco closed her eyes on the spot, and starts reciting her spells.

''“Almete, Gorjal… Peto, Espaldar, Brafoneras, Faldaje… Escarcelas, Bufetas, Hombreras… Brazales, Codales… Antebrazos…”''

Rebecca smile after seeing Eco started reciting.

"Hehe. You are getting better in controlling!"

“T-This can’t be considered as controlling!”

Ash felt embarrassed and his cheeks were red hot.

===Part 18===
''“Manoplas… Quijotes, Guardas…Grebas, Escarpes…”''

Eco's incantation is about to enter its final stage.

This is the fourth time she had created the Ark and the way she chants felt a lot smoother. Perhaps the experience that she had accumulated made her to be more skillful in her technique.

''“-Espolón!”''

After Eco finished her spell, a divine light filled their entire field of vision.

Followed by a thunderous bang.

Ash's body can be seen surrounded by gentle lights.

The ‘Seikoku’ on his left hand strangely became painful.

After the dazzling light faded, Ash was in a silver Ark. This set of Ark is the same as the first Ark that Eco created when he fought the Necromancia.

Although it was an imitations rebuilt from the design that were passed down by the Dragons, it still consumed Eco’s own magic to create the Ark.

"Ahh... the genuine ‘Silver Knight’!"

Jessica like a believer who had witnessed miracles from god was deeply moved.

"The hopes are on you, Ash."

Ash nodded to Rebecca who cheers for him.

By turning his back towards the crowd, he again was facing Gawain.

Just when Ash moved closer, Gawain gave a warning growl. It slowly climbed up from the ground to stand on all fours and fiercely stared Ash. It obviously was on guard against Ash who was equipped with the Ark.

"Don’t be angry, I just want to have a talk with you alone."

Ash leaps. Since the Ark was constructed with a huge amount of magic, it had a variety of additional effects. That is why he can float in mid-air for some time.

Ash’s jump had pass the normal height of a normal human and was gliding towards Gawain. Right at the moment, he believed that he can success for sure -

"Huh...!"

But Ash had landed on the ground. His sabotons had sunk into the soft land. The area he was standing at was the place where Gawain was resting previously.

"Disappea...r?"

Ash was stunned. He obviously thought that he had successfully landed on Gawain's back, but the big thing as if it can teleport had disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"Above you, Ash!"

Rebecca warning instantly brought him back to his sense.

He quickly looked up and saw Gawain. Gawain was clinging to the ceiling on all four with his head facing the ground. It is exactly like a bat.

Just at that moment, Gawain with a roar full of fighting spirit that shook the air around emitted a breath.

"-!"

Ash immediately crossed his arms into a defensive posture, but he was in the trajectory for the attack. Ash felt a strong pressure of wind and heat and was knocked back.

Ash only stopped floating when he abruptly collides with the stone wall.

“Ah…Ark…!”

Ash was suffocating because his Ark cannot withstand this impact. Suddenly, he has a thought that he had broken into pieces. At the same time he knelled down, the Ark turned into particles of light and vanished...

"H-How is this possible...!"

Just like sand, the Ark slipped passed his fingers. It is but only a mere hit, but the damage is already more than what the Ark can withstand.

Ash had long ago heard in class about how destructive is the Dragon’s Breath… Only until he had personally experienced, it was far more horrifying than what you can imagine.

Of course, it is clear that Gawain had shown some mercy.

If it really had the killing intends, let alone a mere dragon house, even the whole school can be turned into ashes.

''If I’m not equipped with the Ark...'' Ash shivered just by think about what will be going to happen next.

"Damn!"

The frustrated Ash stare ruthlessly at Gawain.

Just like when the winner had been decided, Gawain landed on the ground lightly and lie down. But it seems to detect the hostility from Ash and looked at him coldly.

“Grrrrrrrrrr…..”

And it did not forget to threat with its growl.

Ash leaned against the stone wall full of cold sweat.

"That arrogant attitude reminds me of somebody...."

Hearing the angry curse, Eco who arrived together with Rebecca and the rest immediately reacted.

"What did you say just now?"

With her crimson eyes staring at Ash, even Gawain had to admit its loss to those frightening eyes.

In the end, because of Ash terrible lost even when he was equipped with the Ark, the crowd can only dissolve. As for what to do to make Gawain accept Lucca- About this subject, Rebecca with a serious tone declared ''"A separate meeting will be held to discuss about it on another day."''

===Part 19===
The student restaurant ‘La Tene’ was located in the campus.

It is a bungalow built with red bricks for its outer wall. The chimney is its signature features. The working days are only at weekdays, which start at half past eleven in the morning until eight o’clock in the evening. Whether it is about the dining table or chairs, all of them use the Chevron design, which gave an elegance feeling.

"Welcome to ‘La Tene’!"

It is evening. Anya who became a restaurant waitress was busily working.

Currently ‘La Tene’ is just like the manager had said, it lacked of manpower. That was why Anya was busy until she had nearly no time to take a breath.

Even so, Anya did not forget her mission- collect intelligence. But also, she had used her waitress identity to collect useful intelligence from the conversation with the students.

Perhaps she should thank the manager for recommending her to be a waitress. If she had given the infield job that she had originally chosen, there may be no opportunity to come into contact with the students.

As the students here are all breeders, Anya had a little wariness in the beginning. But once she had actually come into contact with them, she found out that they are just ordinary teenagers.

''-The peoples of the Knight’s country are really unbearably vulgar.''

Especially the boys. They seem to be very curious about Anya who had a foreigner’s look and will actively take the initiative to talk with her. Among them, there are obviously guys who don’t have a pure motive.

Anya skillfully uncovered intelligence from those guys.

Ash is a famous person.

None of those who talked to Anya didn’t know about him.

Some praised him to be a wonder student who can easily ride Pal belongs to others. He was also criticized for being a problem student who caused trouble all day long.

There was also information that he recently received a strong support from Rebecca, the student council president.

But, about Ash saving the city by controlling the Necromancia and defeated 'Avdocha the Convict’, all these students knew nothing about them.

''Sure enough, the intelligence was controlled''- Anya intuitively though so.

It was probably interfered by the Academy’s Council or the student council. Veronica should also have a thing or two to do with this.

On the other hand, there was also useful information.

It was said that Ash’s Pal, young dragon Eco is not a normal dragon, but a delicate and charming girl. This is really unbelievable.

For a dragon to be born in a human gesture, it was unheard of.

However, since Ash himself was not a breeder who can be described with the normal logic, slowly, she didn’t feel that it was really unbelievable. No, it should be said that.... ''who knows it is that young dragon called Eco is the key that is making Ash unique.''

If she had the choice, Anya wanted to come into contact with Ash and Eco. Now, Anya as student restaurant waitress had fully blended into the environment. Even when she made contact, Ash will not be wary about her.

The point is Ash had never entered ‘La Tene’. Evidently he did not seem to have the habit to dine in ‘La Tene’.

===Part 20===
After she asked the manager while pretending to have a chat, the manager said that among the regulars customers of ‘La Tene’ students from the middle class family had accounted for more than half of its customers.

Students from the upper class family usually go downtown to dine. As for those from the lower class family, they choose the dormitory restaurant where the food is the cheapest. Ash doesn’t look like a person who comes from the upper class, so he should be from the latter one.

''-Ding...''

At this time, the entrance bell rang.

After she saw the face of the guest when she turned back, Anya suddenly gasped.

"It is that guy...!"

The person in the doorway was none other than Ash Blake.

There is a beautiful girl in uniform standing beside him. At first glance they looked a bit like lovers - but the girl has a very fresh and refined beauty. Also there are circular stubs on her head. That's a unique horn of a young dragon.

''The girl should be the Eco....'' Anya secretly made her own speculation.

===Part 21===
On the way to ‘La Tene’, Eco’s stomach had given out a thundering noise for three times and had frightened the students that passed by.

"That... What is bad about eating in the dormitory restaurant? Not only that it is cheaper, but we also can eat until we are full..."

"I'm sorry! But I’m tired of eating the dormitory’s food! Don’t you know that just having a balanced nutrient in the meals is not enough!"

"Haa... it was said that dragons were foodies and it really is true."

Ash moaned and groaned when he recalled the contents of the basic class.

Opposite to the description of the barbarian-tic dragons from the foreign folk tales, dragons are artistic creature and cooking was also taken as a part of art.

Soon, Ash and Eco had arrived at ‘La Tene’. After Eco energetically opened the door, an appetizing smell is immediately felt by them.

"Wow! What nice smell...! When the school had such a nice restaurant, why do you not bring me here earlier?"

“You want me to go bankrupt! Today is an exception!"

While those two quarreling by the door, a waitress appeared. She was wearing ‘La Tene’s’ signature maid attire.

"W-Welcome to ‘La Tene’!"

The waitress seemed to be newly employed and looked extremely tense. She was full of a foreign air. Her tan skin, deep facial contour and her dark hair that was tied up at the back of her head.

"...Nn?"

Ash frowned and carefully stare at the girl's face. As if he had seen her before...?

"T-That..."

Just when the girl was a little reluctant and was muttering-

"Urrrggh!"

There was suddenly a sharp pain in Ash toes which made him jumped on the spot. It seems that it was Eco who had ruthlessly stepped on his foot.

"What are you doing!"

Eco was in a furious temper.

"Who ask you to be charmed by some female! Hey, the female over there! Why don’t you hurry up a little to help us look for a place!"

"O-Okay!"

Ash sympathizes the waitress who was given orders by the arrogant Eco.

===Part 22===
In contrary to Eco who was attentively studying the menu, Ash had long ago decided.

"That... I want a plate of ‘pasta with Allonne's oyster and mushroom'."

"‘Pasta with Allonne's oyster and mushroom’ is that right? Are there any other needs?"

"No, this is enough."

"Will you be full with this?"

''As a boy, he really has a small appetite...'' Anya poke her nose into his buisness.

"Huh?"

Ash with a puzzled expression looked at Anya. It seems that, he seems to be so surprised for Anya to be cordial when speaking to him.

"S-Sorry for being nosy..."

After Anya apologized for a number of times, Ash smile back.

"I don’t really have much appetite today. I just had a duel with a dragon and I suffered a crushing defeat..."

"Duel with s dragon? What’s that about?"

When Anya curiously asked, Ash's face clearly stated the words ''I’m done for''. He kept his mouth shut and refused to speak anymore. It seems that it was likely a confidential project of the student council.

"N-Nothing... this is very popular game recently. I’m just playing that game."

"Haha... I also think so."
[[Image:SnRK V03 119.jpg|thumb]]

Even when Anya responded with a polite smile, she secretly thought that this man really did not know how to tell a lie.

"I had decided for good!"

After Eco shouted, she stared at Anya. The pair of charming crimson eyes was reflecting Anya's face.

"...What would you like to order?"

"Two hundred and fifty grams of Chevron beef, lamb chops with herb, fried Allonne's oyster, a half boiled omelet, corn soup... give me all this first for the time being."

"Huh?"

Anya suspected that she heard it wrong and stare at Eco’s petite body.

"What is your reaction about! That’s why I always said that humans are folly and ignorant being!"

"S-Sorry..."

At this moment, Ash spoke on Anya’s behalf:

"Hey, Eco! Please do not bully the waitress! Besides... can you finish that many things?"

Seeing Ash showing his owner like side, Anya started to admire him a little. However, not only Eco failed to calm down, but she also had gotten furious.

"You...! Today I have only eaten three meals! A dragon must eat five times a day! Don’t tell me you have forgotten!"

"Huh... you've only eaten three meals today?"

"I will crush you! It is because of you wasting time on saving that dragon that cannot be saved!"

"S-Sorry..."

Seeing that Ash was going to be trampled anytime, Anya secretly sighed.

"Lucca & Maestro Gawain ~A.S.B. 1365.6~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 1

2015-08-22T20:13:05Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 1 - The Month of Gemini's Selective Training Camp */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 1 - The Month of Gemini's Selective Training Camp==
===Part 1===
An eye was staring at Eco in the dark.

Its blood red pupils were blazing like a burning torch.

One, two, three...... The number of eyes were increasing.

"Don’t...... Don’t look at me!"

Eco ran wildly as if to escape the ominous sight.

She was wandering in the dark without any direction.

But regardless of how far Eco runs, she can’t escape those eyes.

Those blood red eyes, like moons hanging up high in the sky, were staring down at Eco.

"H-Help......"

Eco, who usually didn’t communicate any signs of weakness, shouted out loud for help.

Because her overriding fear has long exceeded her self-esteem limits.

"Ash… Please help me!"

Even when she had shouted a name, that she rarely mentions, there was no response.

"Urk......!"

Eco suddenly fell to the ground hitting her face hard. The problem seems to be something wrapped around her right ankle. That has to be the culprit that tripped her.

"W-What is this......?"

Eco wanted to stand up quickly but now… Even her left ankle was caught.

"No...... Don’t!"

Even when Eco was clinging to the ground, struggling to avoid being pulled away, her efforts were in vain.

Her fingers just couldn't cling to the dark slippery surface which eerily felt like the skin of a soft animal.

In only a few moments Eco’s hands had also been entangled and she lost their freedom.

In the next second she was easily raised up in mid-air.

This frightening feeling… Eco had experienced it before.

"Is this a... Necromancia?"

Soon. An object with nine eyes appears in front of Eco. Its eyes became the only light source which dimly lit up its surroundings.

The initial black shadow had finally revealed its true-self.

It was a shocking space covered with a dense mass of creepy purple worms.

But those creepy objects were no ordinary earthworms. Each of the worms was, in reality, a tentacle thicker than Eco’s arm.

Those countless tentacles were facing Eco.

“Eek……”

Eco kept on struggling. If this continued her body will be sacrificed for those tentacles.

However, the more she struggled, the more firmly the tentacles gripped her hands and legs. Not only that… The rest of the tentacles had launched a series of attacks targeted at tearing Eco’s clothes.

"Stop…!"

Those frightening tentacles were squirming on Eco’s naked skin.

Such as over her chest, on the tummy, and along the inner thighs...

Eco was frightened enough to have goosebumps.

"S-Stop. How dare you look down on me!"

Even though she shouted with all her might… The tentacles attack only became more intensified.

"I've had enough... This is.... Too cruel...."

In the end Eco, who was now covered only in ripped and tattered rags, was hanging in mid-air almost naked.

She felt like livestock that was led to be slaughtered.

“Boo… Hoo…” Sobbed Eco.

The humiliation Eco received made her furious almost as if her blood is boiling. However. The tentacles were not bothered in the least, by her indignation, and continued to wrap around her body unhindered.

"Why...... Didn’t you come and save me?"

Ash's face emerged in Eco’s mind

Why did he sit back, while watching his master experience such misery, and yet still refuse to rescue her?

No, in fact, Eco had long been aware that Ash is her master and that she was the one that was being reared.

But, because of her self-esteem, she was unwilling to admit that Ash is really her master. She also, in turn, treated Ash as her pet dog.

''Is this karma<ref>The original meaning is something like a decided fate cause by her pervious actions.</ref>? If this is the case… Such a fate can only be blamed on myself.''

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!"

Eco was in tears. Unfortunately it was too late. Even if she shouted with all her might… Ash would not show up.

Eco was aware of that and she closed her eyes.

No matter what kind of punishment God bestowed. She intends to accept it with her heart.

The tentacles swarm over her body gradually and eventually have her covered-

Right at this moment... A low sound originates from the ground and can be heard from every direction.

"This time… let’s us have our stuff settled for once and for all- ‘Daughter of Avalon' "

===Part 2===
"Hey...... Wake up. Hurry up......"

Ash’s shoulders were vigorously shaken which cause him to wake up from his sleep.

"Hmm...... Eco?"

While rubbing his sleepy eyes Ash looks around. The room is dark. The sun rays that’s managed to pass through the curtains silts were still very weak. It will be some time before the morning bell rings.

Ash was rather surprised for such rare thing to happen.

Eco had actually woken up early and, then of course, woke up Ash. It was a rare sight for Eco, who is a sleepy head<ref> The original word also bears the meaning of the intention of staying in bed and not want to wake up.</ref>, by nature. More tellingly he felt nothing of her usual aggressiveness.

"What’s wrong with you?" Suddenly his sleepiness was swept away.

Ash jumped up from his bed to examine Eco's peculiar behavior.

"That..." Eco showed some uneasiness in her expression.

For Eco, who was always acting haughty, it was hard to think that she can make such an expression. Even her pair of stubs, that signify a young dragon, looked pale.

In addition. Ash was also very surprised that Eco had already put on her clothing this morning. Because in the past Eco always woke up naked. Without any exception.

Ash was surprised to find that there was a hint of soap fragrance from Eco’s body. It seems that she had taken her bath while Ash was sleeping.

"What’s the matter?"

"On the bed... That..."

Eco flushed while she looked at the beds.

"What’s wrong with the bed?"

Ash crawled out from the futon on the floor, and moved towards the bed.

Eco, with her embarrassed expression, looks downward and blushes. Judging on the looks of her face, Ash finally understood why. He remembered his conversation in the past with Eco.

-''"Anyway... I have not seen you secrete a Bright Dragon Crystal."''

''-“How can I casually expose those shameful things in front of others!"''

''-“Bright Dragon Crystals are formed when excess magic crystallizes(?) Even when seen… I think it is no big deal….!!! "''

''-“Although I do not deny that I inevitably will run into the kind of really intolerable situation. At least carelessly become incontinence..."''

"Ahh… Now I understand. Eco. You have finally undergone incontinence. Is it not?"

After Ash cast her a snappish smile Eco’s shoulders are shaking.

"I- I. It is not my intention to do so... There are always times when things happen without our consciousness!"

"It is alright and don’t you worry about it. Anyway, for us humans, it's no big deal."

"Really?"

"Of course. I even wanted to carry it as a good luck charm!"

"Wha-What did you say?"

"Hey. What are you fussing about? In fact. There are also many students who carry them along as an amulet!"

"I-I can’t believe it... Also. How do they carry it?"

"You just have to put it in your pocket or inside the bag!"

"H-How is it possible...? Are you kidding me? Those liquid..."

"Liquid? You are the one who is joking. It's always solid!"
[[Image:SnRK V03 027.jpg|thumb|"Wha-What did you say?"]]

Upon hearing that Eco clenched her teeth.

"What do you think I had come out with!!! How could it be solid!!!"

Ash crossed his arms and think. He had never heard of a liquid Bright Dragon Crystal. Even though he had become more and more curious about what had happened. But. The real priority was to calm down Eco’s anger.

Ash took a deep breath to calm down his heart. What he needed right now was to speak with her.

"Listen to me carefully. There exist many differences between human's and dragon's cognition. Perhaps to dragons, it is indeed a very shameful thing, but for us humans that is but a small matter."

“Err…”

Even though Eco was still hiding something, perhaps she was moved by Ash, her temper finally calmed down.

"So please let me have a look."

Ash stretched out his hand towards the bed, but Eco quickly blocked.

"I-I really can’t... It is too shameful!"

Seeing Eco blushing and her humbly pleading looks, Ash’s heart starts to race.

"Don’t worry. Eco. You are my pal! Regardless of what substance you had secreted I will never abandon you and will never laugh at you. I will accept you as who you are."

"... Really?"

Eco’s eyes were wet as if she was deeply moved and she finally moved aside.

"Alright... I believe in you."

"Then I’ll make my move."

With mixed feelings Ash flipped over the blanket.

"...?"

However, the moment he saw the sheets, Ash was shocked.

There was a huge world map on the middle of the bed sheet. When Ash was still in his village, he had helped take care of his younger sister. This sight made him felt a little nostalgic.

"You... After this long argument… You wet the bed!"

"If not so, what were you originally thinking about!"

Eco flushed while shaking her pair of fists.

"Err. I originally thought it was the... Bright Dragon Crystal."

"Don’t you know how many times more shameful it is to come out with the Bright Dragon Crystal!"

"Is that so- ''Urgh''!"

With Eco iron fist bursting, Ash was knocked against the wall in one hit. If he wants to fix the gap between humans and dragons… It seemed that he needed to communicate with her more.

===Part 3===
Early in the morning there were several male students who gathered at the laundry drying area. Beside it was a water storage place where clothes could be washed.

Fortunately today's sky was clear which made it a suitable day for doing the laundry. Ash moved towards the water storage and filled the laundry tub with water. He wanted to clean the sheets, that Eco wet, quickly before he ran into any acquaintances. Just when Ash was secretly thinking...

"Yo. Ash!"

Someone suddenly slapped his back which caused him to choke and cough several times. When he looked back it turned out to be, his good for nothing friend, Raymond Kirkland. Like Ash. He was also carrying a basket full of dirty clothes. Ash gave him a questioning look

"Why? Since you looked kinda glum… You must have been quarreling with Eco is it not?"

"Nah..."

Ash tried to hide the sheets quietly but they were still seen by Raymond’s sharp-eyes.

"Woah!... You still wet your bed even at this age!"

Once he spied the world map on the sheets, Raymond laughed. The other students who also heard that, turned towards Ash.

"N-No... It's not me who wet my bed!"

"Since it is not you ... Is it Eco?"

Ash whispered in Raymond’s ear over his shoulder.

"I beg you not to tell anyone. Eco seemed to have received a big blow... She is without her usual high spirits this whole morning."

"Really? There are also times when Eco is feeling frustrated. That is really unexpected."

"It is because she has a high self-esteem... I think she can’t forgive herself for bed-wetting."

"Don’t you look at her that way. She is only just a two and a half month old young dragon. It is normal for her to wet the bed!"

"What you said also seems logical to me! Her looks made me forget about it."

Ash and Raymond were chatting while washing their clothes. After Ash put in some detergent, he began to scrub the stains on the fabric.

"Speaking of laundry, are you also responsible for cleaning Eco’s clothes and underwear?"

"Who will wash it if I don’t?"

Ash snappily replied. In fact. Ash is responsible for cleaning all of Eco’s clothing.

"Eco’s underwear... If it is possible I could help her wash them."

"Do you think there is someone foolish enough to pass their room keys to a thief in this world?"

Ash remained silent after speaking this sentence and concentrates on washing his clothes. If he continued to go on chatting, he will be too late to catch up with this morning's scheduled assembly.

Raymond was also concentrating on washing his clothes, in the beginning, but Raymond is not the type of person who can keep quiet for very long. In just the next moment he brought up another topic.

"Do you know what happened to Jessica Valentine? Didn’t she have a crush on you? There is some trouble in the SKFC because of her resignation!"

"Please, don’t even mention that topic ... I had a stomach ache by just thinking about it."

Recently, in Ansarivan, St Valeria’s church had just been occupied. What Raymond had said made him recall this incident.

The person who rescued Jessica, who unfortunately became an unwitting hostage to this incident, was none other than Ash. The reason was; Ash's secret, as the legendary hero 'Silver Knight', was known by Jessica.

As a result Jessica, who was the Silver Knight Fan Club’s (SKFC) president, was promoted to become a member of the student council. The reason why Jessica was selected was to prevent the Silver Knight’s secret from being spread among the SKFC’s members.

All these arrangements had been made by the student council’s president... Rebecca.

It was certainly a good thing for Jessica to agree to keep Ash’s secret. However, even if she joined the Student Council, she was still eyeing Ash’s sperm. Which gave him a headache just thinking about it.

"But as long as you simply nod you will immediately have a girlfriend… No? I never thought that you would actually overtake me by becoming the first..."

Raymond clenched his teeth and showed signs of not backing down.

"It can’t be... In my opinion… Jessica doesn’t really like me. I always felt that she only wants to bear my child more. It is hard to feel happy being liked by girls this way."

"You sure? When she was the SKFC’s president you may be right. But for now, I think, it is no longer the same."

Raymond’s objection puzzled Ash.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that… She now really loves you! I guess that it is because you saved the beauty as a hero in her dreams would. Even if she really now loves you… Can you still not accept it?"

"Err... I have never liked Jessica. Since I don’t like her, and yet if I'm going to date her, I don’t feel doing something like that is right."

"Then, otherwise, who do you really like?"

Raymond revealed an unusually serious expression and stared at Ash. It seems that he seriously wanted to know the answer himself.

"Me? About that... I'm not really sure myself."

Although Ash dully answered, the next moment, the memory of his first kiss crossed his mind.

His unexpected kiss with Eco. Her tender lips and her warm tongue... Just by recalling it made his heart race. This was what Ash cannot deny.

But that was just an accident. At the time Eco had just eaten an Ansal sweet. She was only drunk and confused. She must have had not even remembered her actions.

"Anything wrong? Why are you blushing?"

Raymond curiously asked.

"No. Nothing!"

Ash quickly shook his head and began to seriously wash his clothes.

===Part 4===
On the way back to the dormitory, after having finished washing the sheets, Raymond unexpectedly asked a question.

"Speaking of the month of Gemini… We have to talk about the Selective Training Camp. The names for those who are able to participate are going to be announced soon, right?"

"Ahh. I heard that it is likely to be announced at today’s assembly."

Raymond was surprised.

"What… Even you don’t know about it? I thought the student council’s members had already received a notice regarding it!"

"The participant list is treated as confidential. Even for regular student council members. It seems that only the president, Rebecca, has received the list of names."

"Is it......? Well, anyway, this has nothing to do with us."

Ash could only smile after hearing what Raymond said.

The Selective Training Camp – was actually an annual intensive training camp organized by the Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy during the month of Gemini.

But only fifty students, who excelled in their results, were eligible to participate. Actual Combat, written answers, attitudes and etc... The candidates had to excel in all aspects, in order to be selected.

It was considered a very honourable thing to be selected by the Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Though Ash looked forward to the camp, but...... Even though he was now a member of the student council, he still could not quickly change his image as the ‘Number One Problem Child In The Academy’.

Raymond was right. Ash simply did not expect that either of them had a chance to be favored.

===Part 5===
The school's students were assembled in the hall for the first period in the morning.

The school had also announced the change of seasonal uniforms on the same day as the arrival of the month of Gemini. Raymond, and many others, were delightfully surprised by being able to see the girls in their lighter clothes. But for Ash… It was the beginning of a worrisome, self conscious period.

Ash’s left hand was engraved with the dragons' contract - Seikoku.

Generally, the size of the Seikoku would not be any larger than the size of a palm. But somehow, Ash's Seikoku was far larger than the normal ones.

The large area it covered spanned his whole left arm. Ash had decided, from the bottom of his heart, to hate that shocking pattern and had never liked to show it to others.

Actually, in the past, he was often ridiculed because of his unique Seikoku. Ash, who could no longer bear the others, had ultimately decided to cover his left arms’s Seikoku with bandages.

The problem was, once it changed to the short-sleeved summer uniform, another problem would be born from it. The bandages originally served the purpose of covering the Seikoku to prevent the others from being disgusted. But, once it was summer, those exposed bandages instead had been attracting attention. That was why the reason Ash hated seasonal changes... was understandable.

Before long the Chancellor made his appearance in front of the podium. Immediately the hall had become silent.

"Surely you must have been looking forward to it for a long time my students. I’ll immediately announce the list of participants eligible for the Selective Training Camp."

Ash personally felt there was a little nervousness in the air which was different from the usual school assemblies. For those who were like Ash that 'will-never-be-selected' naturally they were not particularly tense. However, for those students who harbored a slight hope, their palms were sweating with nervousness.

The chancellor, who was always friendly and cheerful, had put on a priest like serious expression.

"For those who are named, please answer loudly and come forward."

The chancellor moved his eyes downward to look at the name list.

"Advance course third grade. Rebecca Randall-san."

“Hai!” <ref>はい as in Yes</ref>

Rebecca coolly left the group of students from the highest grade and moved forward. The red hair looked as if it was blazing more than usual.

The chancellor read out the names of those selected one by one. The students from the higher grades consisted of most of the students. There were more than thirty people who were from the third and second grade of the advance course.

"Next is the advance class first year. Silvia Lautreamont fourth Princess."

“Hai!”

After she answered with an exceptionally brave voice, Silvia left the first grade group to stand on the podium in front. Her bright blond hair looked like a bright aura that only gods had.

"Hey! what are you mesmerizing about? Are you in love with her?"

Raymond casually whispered in Ash's ear.

"H-How could I be! She is a Princess!"

Ash quickly refuted. His cheeks were red hot.

"Haha. Of course I was kidding. Anyway. She is a flower on a high ridge."

Raymond who, had just laughed whole heartedly, suddenly became serious.

"That being said… The only boy Princess trusts is you."

“T-That is because we help each other in the student council? "

"Maybe you are the only one who thinks so?"

After Raymond gave an evil laugh their attention turned back to the podium

The chancellor continue naming.

"Advanced class first grade. Maximillian Russell-san.”

“Advanced class first grade. Jessica Valentine-san."

As the treasurer of the student council and at the same time also a friend of Ash, Max was chosen. Although it was a surprise that Jessica was also chosen, but Ash remembered, the comment that Rebecca gave her was "She is able to overcome any difficulty if she has the heart  to."

"- Next is the Basic class."

After a break, the chancellor flipped the name list over. By doing this, it was confirmed that Ash was not selected. Although he hadn't held any expectations at the start, but there was inevitably some regret. By having such feeling, Ash himself thought that was very extraordinary.

Because as his past self, he would not even be bothered.

"This year, there is only one student from the basic class selected. Third grade Lucca Sarlinen."

A foreign name came out from the chancellor’s mouth.

But the hall was silent. Lucca Sarlinen did not respond for any reason. Soon the students began to chatter amongst themselves.

Raymond, who was no exception, started to talk to Ash.

"It's hard to imagine that a serious girl like her is absent......"

"Do you know her?"

Raymond looked at Ash in astonishment.

"You are the weird one for not knowing her! Lucca Sarlinen is a celebrity seconded only by the ‘Scarlet Empress’ and ‘Ice Blue Princess’!"

The former refered to Rebecca and the latter was Silvia. Since she was below these two but it still meant that she was really famous.

"Is it?... Is she such an amazing student?"

"She is a genius for being the youngest ever to be appointed as a Dragner! Isn't that terrific enough?"

"Hold on. The one who held the record for being the youngest isn’t it Rebecca-san...?"

"The one who rewrote Rebecca onee-san’s record is no other than Lucca Sarlinen! Moreover. she is obviously the secretary from the student council! How come you don’t know her?"

Raymond obviously looked surprised.

"You can’t blame me… We never even met."

"You've never met each other... Is it true?"

Although Raymond was not yet satisfied, unfortunately they could no longer continue their private conversation. The chancellor who had received an explanation from the teachers continued to speak:

"Lucca Sarlinen-san is absent because of illness. Then finally -"

However, because a sudden burst of resentfulness swept the auditorium, the chancellor had failed to finish his words.

Ash looked around puzzled.

It appeared that some students were protesting against Lucca Sarlinen being selected.

"What is happening? It is just that she took her leave and is absent? What’s there to be angry about?"

Right after Ash asked Raymond, with a bitter face, replied:

"I heard that she was absent, not only from today's school assembly, for about three months. For someone who is absent for so long, to be selected, it is not a wonder for some people to get angry."

"Why has she been absent for three months? Is She injured or sick?"

"...the rumors might be true."

Raymond actually said something with deep meaning… Which made Ash curious.

"What rumors-?"

At this time the chancellor, who was famous for his gentleness, spoke with his rarely used command voice:

"Silence! It is true that Lucca-san has been absent for a long time. But she had left good results. Her total results topped the fifth so we selected Lucca-san."

The chancellor's righteous explanations instantly calmed down the waves of protestation.

"So then. I’ll finally announce the 'Specially Recommended' student. The Specially Recommended Student System was only adopted this year. It is evaluated by the student council president and not by the staff. Rebecca-san this student is picked personally by you so please take my place and announce his name."

“Hai.”

Rebecca coolly walked up to the podium.

"As you have just heard, based on the Specially Recommended System, I have selected one student for the Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy's Selective Training Camp to be held at the Allonnes lakeside."

Rebecca suddenly stopped after saying that. A terrible suspenseful silence enveloped the hall.

Everyone present was nervous… Quietly waiting for Rebecca to announce the name.

"That student is. Advance class first grade. Ash Blake."

"Bedwetter ~A.S.B. 1365.6~ is closed"

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 3 Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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</noinclude>

User:Platypi4E4

2015-08-22T20:04:38Z

Platypi4E4:

I tend to edit whichever LN I am reading! As such, my edits (for now) are going to be pretty random.

As an English-language 'patriot', I find it jarring when the language is (accidentally!) misused - whether it be grammatically or through spelling errors - and am a bit anally-retentive about correcting it! (prepare thyself Baka-Tsuki!! :-P)

Happy to chat about whatever (though would probably prefer it to be about LNs!)

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2015-08-22T20:03:31Z

Platypi4E4: Created page with "Ask here on send me a PM, it doesn't bother me! ----------- Currently editing: - Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi ----------------"

Ask here on send me a PM, it doesn't bother me!
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Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi

2015-08-22T19:59:16Z

Platypi4E4: /* Editors */ New Active Editor - Platypi4E4

{{Status|Stalled}}

[[Image:Seikoku cover.jpg|280px|thumb|Volume 1 cover]]

'''''Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi''''' (星刻の竜騎士, lit. ''The Star-Marked {{furigana|Dragon Knight|Dragner}}''), also very well known as '''''Seikoku no Dragner''''', is a Japanese light novel series written by Shiki Mizuchi and illustrated by Kohada Shimesaba. The series currently has 19 volumes and is published by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/MF%E6%96%87%E5%BA%ABJ MF Bunko J]. In April 2014 an anime adaptation began which covered the events of volumes 1-4 of the light novel which ended in June 2014.

== Story Synopsis ==
Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy is for boys and girls who had made contracts with dragons. Ash Blake had a Seikoku on his hand, a proof of being a contractor, but he didn't have any dragons for his partner. One day, a dragon within him wakes up from a certain incident. However, the dragon that appeared was different from other dragons. It wasn't in a form of a dragon but had a form of a girl!?

"''You'' are not my master; ''I'm'' the one who is your master," she says.

Courtesy of FairGame

=== Story Arcs ===
{{SNRK:Toggle}}

== Translation ==

=== [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

'''Translators are asked to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Registration Page|register]] for chapters they want to work on'''

===Format Standards===

'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Names and Terminology Guidelines]]
'''All edited translations are to be in British English.'''

===Appreciation===

'''If you appreciate the efforts of the translators/editors of the Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi Baka-tsuki Project, why don't you thank them in this [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5484 forum]'''

===Feedback===

'''If you enjoy the series, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5484 Feedback thread]'''

== Updates ==
:*23 July, 2014 - Volume 6 Chapter 1 completed
:*6 July, 2014 - Volume 6 prologue completed
:*5 July, 2014 - Volume 5 '''Completed'''
:*5 July, 2014 - Volume 5 Epilogue completed
:*4 July, 2014 - Volume 5 Chapter 4 completed
:*30 May, 2014 - Volume 5 Chapter 3 completed
:*6 May, 2014 - Volume 5 Chapter 2 completed

== The ''Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi'' series by Shiki Mizuchi ==
{|style="text-align:center; margin: 5px 5px clear:both; font-size:100%; background-color:#cee0f2; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" | <h2>'''Story Arc 1: The Knight of Eco'''</h2>
|-
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:center;"|[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1|Volume 1]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;" |[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2|Volume 2]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V03 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3|Volume 3]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V04 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4|Volume 4]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK v05 004.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5|Volume 5]]
|-
|}

<div class="mw-customtoggle-Arc1 mw-customtoggle-Arc1Close mw-customtoggle-Arc1Open" style="color:blue;background:#cee0f2;cursor:pointer" align="center">click here to expand/collapse</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="text-align:left;margin:2px2pxclear:both;font-size:100%;background:transparent;width:100%" id="mw-customcollapsible-Arc1">

=== Volume 1 ([[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1|Full Text]]) ===
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Eco the Dragon Girl]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Necromancia's Attack]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 2 ([[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2|Full Text]]) ===
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Silver Knight]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Ironblood Valkyrie]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Veronica and Silvia]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Avdocha the Convicted]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 3 ([[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3|Full Text]]) ===
[[Image:SnRK V03 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The Month of Gemini's Selective Training Camp]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Rebecca's Dangerous Command]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Lakeside Vacation]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - The Battle at Willingham Mausoleum]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 4 ([[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4|Full Text]]) ===
[[Image:SnRK V04 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Knight Princess's proposal]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Fontaine City, the capital of the Knights]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Paladin Oswald]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Beowolf's conspiracy]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Mordred's tombstone]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Ancient palace's abandoned garden]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Masquerade]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 - Avalon's Imperial Princess]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 5 ([[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5|Full Text]]) ===
[[Image:SnRK v05 004.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Tragedy of Apolo house and Mirabel's decision]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Ash's and Silvia's study group]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Navi's visit and practical skill test]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Lost memories, Albion Forest]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

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</div>

{|style="text-align:center; margin: 5px 5px clear:both; font-size:100%; background-color:#cee0f2; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" | <h2>'''Story Arc 2: The Avalon Knight Dragner'''</h2>
|-
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:center;"|[[Image:SnRK V06 004.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6|Volume 6]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;" |[[Image:SnRK V07 004.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7|Volume 7]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V08 000b.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8|Volume 8]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V09 003.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9|Volume 9]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V10 003.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10|Volume 10]]
|-
|}

<div class="mw-customtoggle-Arc2 mw-customtoggle-Arc2Close mw-customtoggle-Arc2Open" style="color:blue;background:#cee0f2;cursor:pointer" align="center">click here to expand/collapse</div>
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=== Volume 6 ===
[[Image:SnRK V06 004.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 6 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - The return of Rebecca Randall]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - The baron of sonic]]--(0%)
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The return of Anya]]--(0%)
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Chevron Royal Family's 'Iron rule']]--(0%)
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Oscar's deeply laid plan]]--(0%)
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - Ansarivan's five hundred years festival]]--(0%)
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]--(0%)

 

=== Volume 7 ===
[[Image:SnRK V07 004.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 7 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Eco's bright dragon crystal]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Ice Blue Princess Vs Elfen Dancer]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Night Before the Finale, The calm before the storm]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Ashley trapped]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - The fight of the sacred knights]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 - The birth of a demon]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 - Uranus and Pluto]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 8 ===
[[Image:SnRK V08 000b.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 8 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 9 ===
[[Image:SnRK V09 003.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 9 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 9|Chapter 9 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Chapter 10|Chapter 10 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 10 ===
[[Image:SnRK V10 003.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 10 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

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</div>

{|style="text-align:center; margin: 5px 5px clear:both; font-size:100%; background-color:#cee0f2; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" | <h2>'''Story Arc 3: The Ancient Bloodline'''</h2>
|-
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:center;"|[[Image:Seikoku_No_Dragner_11_001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11|Volume 11]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;" |[[Image:SnRK V12 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12|Volume 12]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V13 002.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13|Volume 13]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V14 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14|Volume 14]]
| width="20%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V15 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15|Volume 15]]
|-
|}

<div class="mw-customtoggle-Arc3 mw-customtoggle-Arc3Close mw-customtoggle-Arc3Open" style="color:blue;background:#cee0f2;cursor:pointer" align="center">click here to expand/collapse</div>
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=== Volume 11 ===
[[Image:Seikoku_No_Dragner_11_001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - Ash's decision and new Student Council system]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Rebecca's graduation ceremony]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - Ash's little sister]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 3.5|Chapter 3.5 - Linda's "Star Mark"]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - Aries's party aboard a warship]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 4.5|Chapter 4.5 - Linda's miscalculation]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - Darkness Princess and mechanical dragon]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 11 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 12 ===
[[Image:SnRK V12 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 12 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 13 ===
[[Image:SnRK V13 002.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 13 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 6.5|Chapter 6.5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 13 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]

 

=== Volume 14 ===
[[Image:SnRK V14 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 14 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 9|Chapter 9 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 10|Chapter 10 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 11|Chapter 11 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 11.5|Chapter 11.5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 12|Chapter 12 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 14 Chapter 13|Chapter 13 ]]

 

=== Volume 15 ===
[[Image:SnRK V15 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 15 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 13.5|Chapter 13.5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 14|Chapter 14 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 15|Chapter 15 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 16|Chapter 16 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 17|Chapter 17 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 18|Chapter 18 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 19|Chapter 19 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 20|Chapter 20 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 21|Chapter 21 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 22|Chapter 22 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Chapter 23|Chapter 23 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 15 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

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</div>

{|style="text-align:center; margin: 5px 5px clear:both; font-size:100%; background-color:#cee0f2; width:100%;"
| colspan="5" | <h2>'''Story Arc 4'''</h2>
|-
| width="25%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:center;"|[[Image:SnRK V16 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16|Volume 16]]
| width="25%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;" |[[Image:SnRK V17 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17|Volume 17]]
| width="25%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V18 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18|Volume 18]]
| width="25%" style="background:#cee0f2; text-align:left;"|[[Image:SnRK V19 001.jpg|center|thumb|x200px|link=Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19|Volume 19]]
|
|-
|}

<div class="mw-customtoggle-Arc4 mw-customtoggle-Arc4Close mw-customtoggle-Arc4Open" style="color:blue;background:#cee0f2;cursor:pointer" align="center">click here to expand/collapse</div>
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=== Volume 16 ===
[[Image:SnRK V16 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 9|Chapter 9]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 16 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 17 ===
[[Image:SnRK V17 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 17 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 17 Epilogue|Epilogue]]

 

=== Volume 18 ===
[[Image:SnRK V18 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 18 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Prologue|Prologue]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 6|Chapter 6 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 7|Chapter 7 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 8|Chapter 8 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 18 Chapter 9|Chapter 9 ]]

 

=== Volume 19 ===
[[Image:SnRK V19 001.jpg|thumb|x200px]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi:Volume 19 Novel Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 9.5|Chapter 9.5]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 11|Chapter 11 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 13|Chapter 13 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 14|Chapter 14 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 15|Chapter 15 ]]
*[[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 19 Chapter 16|Chapter 16 ]]
<div style="clear:both"> </div>
</div>

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:TJYYEO|TJYYEO]] 
*[[User:Kenji|Kenji]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''
*[[User:Yoyoyo5678|Yoyoyo5678]] ([[User talk:Yoyoyo5678|talk]])
*[[User:Winlex|Winlex]] ([[User talk:Winlex|talk]])
*[[User:Platypi4E4|Platypi4E4]] ([[User talk:Platypi4E4|talk]])

'''INACTIVE'''
*[[User:ClavelSangrante|ClavelSangrante]] ([[User talk:ClavelSangrante|talk]])
*[[User:Alviam099|Alviam099]]
*[[User:Tjobbear|Tjobbear]]
*[[User:JesseAlexander|JesseAlexander]]

== Series Overview ==

:*星刻の竜騎士（ドラグナー） (June 25, 2010) ISBN 978-4-8401-3420-0
:*星刻の竜騎士 II (September 24, 2010) ISBN 978-4-8401-3508-5
:*星刻の竜騎士 III (January 25, 2011) ISBN 978-4-8401-3696-9
:*星刻の竜騎士 IV (April 25, 2011) ISBN 978-4-8401-3895-6
:*星刻の竜騎士 V (July 25, 2011) ISBN 978-4-8401-3975-5
:*星刻の竜騎士 VI (October 25, 2011) ISBN 978-4-8401-4271-7
:*星刻の竜騎士 VII (January 25, 2012) ISBN 978-4-8401-4374-5
:*星刻の竜騎士 VIII (April 25, 2012) ISBN 978-4-8401-4548-0
:*星刻の竜騎士 IX (July 25, 2012) ISBN 978-4-8401-4645-6
:*星刻の竜騎士 X (October 25, 2012) ISBN 978-4-8401-4847-4
:*星刻の竜騎士 XI (January 25, 2013) ISBN 978-4-8401-4960-0
:*星刻の竜騎士 XII (April 25, 2013) ISBN 978-4-8401-5157-3
:*星刻の竜騎士 XIII (July 25, 2013) ISBN 978-4-8401-5246-4
:*星刻の竜騎士 XIV (November 25, 2013) ISBN 978-4-0406-6072-1
:*星刻の竜騎士 XV (April 25, 2014) ISBN 978-4-0406-6377-7
:*星刻の竜騎士 XVI (June 25, 2014) ISBN 978-4-04-066778-2
:*星刻の竜騎士 XVII (November 25, 2014) ISBN 978-4-04-067167-3
:*星刻の竜騎士 XVIII (March 25, 2015) ISBN 978-4-04-067469-8
:*星刻の竜騎士 XIX (July 24, 2015) ISBN 978-4-04-067715-6

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:MF Bunko J]]
[[Category:Shiki Mizuchi]]

[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]
[[Category:Genre - Ecchi]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]
[[Category:Genre - Harem]]
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 8

2015-08-22T17:29:21Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 8 - Avalon's Imperial Princess */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 8 - Avalon's Imperial Princess==
===Part 1===
In armoury of the Zepharos mothership Beowolf––under Dr. Hoffman’s command the battle is in full swing.

Eco was naked and floating amid the magic guided device–– Inside ‘Yggdrasill’s’ capsule. There are also several groups of technicians working around her. This was out of Anya’s area of understanding. She could only stand by the wall and watch silently.

But, she understood well the pain that Eco was feeling.

The cold voice was followed by its echo when it was reflected on the metal body.

“The cartridge has been filled. Prepare for launching.”

“The countdown starts now. Ten, nine, eight… Three, two, one-.”

“Launching compressed magic!”

A red beam shot out followed by a loud gun shooting sound. Anya felt that even the ship was vibrating.

“…!”

Then, there were air bubbles coming from Eco’s mouth. If not because of the liquid she was in, her scream would definitely be heard.

Anya couldn’t bear to see Eco suffering and looked away.

Eco’s body had already taken at least ten shots of the compressed magic.

Eco regained her consciousness after the start of the experiment. At the beginning, she was struggling in the water, but ‘Yggdrasill’s’ capsule was not at all affected.

After repeatedly receiving of dozens of compressed magic bolts, she lost her strength.

Right now, she is just like the living dead. Her blank eyes were now lifeless and it was terrible. It was pure torture. Even so, the group of researchers led by Dr. Hoffman were not at all shaken and continued silently.

“There is no significant change on the appearance of α. There are no abnormalities on her respiratory system. No magic fluctuation can be seen.” Without realizing, the group of researchers started to refer Eco as α.

Eco is a human, a young dragon and also a living being––But this group of human had taken everything from her. To them, Eco was just experimental material α. Who knows if they want to remove their feeling of guilt by calling her with symbols… Anya secretly thought so.

At this moment, Dr. Hoffman’s voice is heard by Anya.

“Still no changes… It seems like we don’t have any more choices. Activate all the Millennium.”

Anya turned pale when she heard that.

This means that they had decided to utilize full power on ‘Yggdrasil’.

===Part 2===
“*Sob*… It was all… My fault. *Sob*…”

In the maid’s bedroom on the ground floor of the palace.

Prim was lying on the bed with her pillow wet with tears.

Only Ash and Silvia beside her bed. Cosette was standing by the door outside the room.

Prim cried while she told them about the whole incident.

Prim arrived at the ancient palace when she was chasing Eco, who was emotionally distressed and running away.

She had met a few suspicious people there.

Seeing the enemy suddenly attack, Eco appeared and became the bait to let Prim escape.

When Prim regained conscious, Eco was no longer there.

After hearing, Ash felt something suspicious.

“Why did you go to the ancient palace?”

“That’s because… It was my entire fault! It was my bad to say such things!”

“Prim“ Silvia said patiently. “Please stay calm. Compared to you... Ash is the one suffering the most.”

After being advised so by Silvia, Prim rubbed off her tears which started clearing up.

“You are right. Sorry…”

“Prim-san, please tell me everything before Eco was kidnapped!”

Prim nodded.

“I had no ill intention, it was just that… Ash-sama is a human and Eco is a dragon… So I thought that Eco would feel lonely after Ash-sama married with a human girl. The moment I told her that, Eco rushed out of the room.”

“What…!”

Who would have thought of this, Ash was speechless.

“Idiot! You… Why do you have to tell her this!”

Silvia was mad.

“If I am Eco… I will definitely feel hurt if someone told that to me! Even when Eco is a dragon, her thoughts are still those of a very young girl’s. She should know very well that her situation is special. Why was she born as a human? Why was she not born as a dragon… If I am Eco, I might even never feel secure.”

“Princess…”

Ash looked on in surprise at Silvia who was able to keen Eco's thoughts.

“Recently, she had gotten used to the school life. She was also being loved by everyone as the student council’s mascot. Even so, to Eco, the only person she could trust in… Is no other than Ash.”

“And I… Have said something terrible…”

“Strictly speaking, Eco is still a young dragon who is not even a year old. Can’t you be a little more indirect in your––”

“Forget it, Princess. Right now, we could never solve the problem even after lecturing Prim-san. What’s more, if they had this planned, no matter what Prim-san said, Eco would still have been kidnapped.”

“…You are right. But how are we going to rescue Eco?” Silvia nodded.

She was in agreement with Ash.

“Prim-san… Could you describe those people who attacked?”

Ash was praying while asking. His only clue is Prim being the witness.

“Err… They pretended to be the palace servants. But, they didn’t look like citizens of the Knight Country. For their skin colour, it looked like they are the Tantalos…. Also, the person who attacked me is a short girl.”

“A Tantalos girl…!” Ash was feeling Déjà vu.

It was like he had found the last piece of puzzle in his memory.

“It was the girl who followed Milgauss!”

Ash’s fists were shaking. The world he was seeing was dyed in red. Even though he only had a feeling that Milgauss was the culprit, still, after making sure, he was still in rage.

“Since we know who the criminal is-”

Silvia immediately stopped Ash who intended to rush out from the room.

“Hold on, Ash! Where do you think you are going to?”

“The ballroom, of course! I want to settle thing with Milgauss!”

“Keep your calm! Do you think that Milgauss will admit it even after you find and confront him?”

“…Maybe not.”

Ash turned speechless.

Silvia was right, no matter how emotional he became, Eco still wouldn’t be able to return safely.”

Just as if she was trying to have Ash cooled down, Silvia made a suggestion in a calm voice:

“Don’t you think that this is a good time to save Eco when Milgauss is busy with the masquerade?”

“What do you mean?”

“Milgauss couldn’t even be bothered by an activity with long history such as this continental congress and will do anything just to capture Eco. Even when I don’t know what his intentions are, but capturing Eco alive is their priority. I am sure that their lackeys won’t do anything to harm Eco when the mastermind is absent.”

After listening to Silvia’s analysis, Ash gave a breath of relieve.

“The problem remains is, where is Eco’s location. Since Ash’s ‘Seikoku’ is not reacting, it means that Eco was being hidden in an enclosed place. For example something that could be a barrier to cut off magic… Anyway, it must be done with the proper equipment. It just can’t be a rally point that they have just constructed.”

“An enclosed place with proper equipment? That’s it, Milgauss has Klaus backing him up…”

Last evening, an airship flew past the evening sky…

The black ship that was waving the Empire’s flag proudly…

Ash remembered.

Ash and Silvia exchanged glances and shouted at the same time:

“Beowolf!”

===Part 3===
––W-Will… I die just like this…

Eco thought so.

The liquid in the capsule kept on rotating and Eco’s body was being swept along by it.

Every time her shoulders or waist touches the glass, her body will move slowly in the opposite direction.

It seems like the liquid was made of special materials. Luckily, it doesn’t affect her breathing. But after suffering a few shots from the magic device, her body turned numb.

This feeling is like an empty mind floating in mid air.

––If I could just… Continue sleeping… Then I won’t feel any pain…

Just when Eco thought so... A power, that surpassed all the previous ones, was released upon her.

“Noooooooooo…!”

Even though she thought that she shouted in pain, in truth they were just air bubbles coming out from her mouth.

A bright light flashes and the water churns rapidly. Just like being swallowed by a tsunami, her body kept on rotating and kept on hitting the glass around her.

––Wh… Why do I have to suffer this kind of pain.

It had passed the limit of her brain to just think of what they are going to do to her. She could only feel that her body had been injected with a vast amount of magic.

The pain she felt is just like her body being ripped open.

It felt like her organs were being messed up by someone.

-Urgh… It hurts…. It hurts…. I beg you all, please stop.

It is pointless no matter how she shouted in her mind, the magic was still being forced into the body. Eco’s body was jerking nonstop and she was struggling.

You might as well do me a favor by killing me––Eco gave up.

“…!”

At the next moment- The Necromancia’s slimy tentacles began attacking her from all directions.

Eco couldn’t understand. Where did those tentacles appear from in this enclosed environment?

The tentacles, which were wriggling like snakes, slowly snatched her freedom.

Her arms, waist, legs… were entangled by those tentacles. -Stop! This must be an illusion! It is this device that was making me hallucinate…!

Eco tried to stay conscious and opened her eyes widely.

At that moment, the tentacles disappeared.

The feelings of being entangled by those tentacles also disappeared.

However, not long after that, she lost focus and the tentacles appeared again and had her waist was surrounded.

In a blink of an eye, she was lifted by those tentacles.

-Stop!

[[Image:SnRK V04 183.jpg|thumb|Her arms, waist, legs… were entangled by those tentacles. -Stop! This must be an illusion! It is this device that was making me hallucinate…!]]

An abnormally thick tentacle was approaching Eco’s face.

Eco kept her teeth closed with her might. If she was to be careless, the tentacle will surely wriggle into her mouth. Eco had Goosebumps just by think about it.

Eco initially wanted to ask for Ash’s help. She hoped that he could save him from this hell.

However, from the point she woke up in this device, she couldn’t even summon Ash.

Her Astral Flow with Ash had also been cut off.

The loss of her communication had put her in fear.

Eco was shocked that the loss of her connection with Ash would put her in such great fear.

––I am really an idiot. I only knew what is precious to me after I had lost it.

This experience had made her wanted to treasure Ash much more.

That’s right, without Ash, I can’t do anything… I am really a good for nothing.

-Don…

At that instant, there was something moving in her body.

===Part 4===
“Something is wrong! The magic indicator is showing an abnormal value!”

“We found an unknown magic source! Its power is increasing!”

“We have lost control of ‘Yggdrasill’! It ignored the emergency stop signal!”

The continuous bad news had made Dr. Hoffman turn pale.

The laboratory was as if in a fire and a tense atmosphere was spreading.

All the technicians now carried a panicked look while they were busy dealing with the buttons and controls under their hands.

“What happened…?”

Anya who was looking from aside wondered.

Basically, there presently seemed nothing abnormal with Eco, who was in the capsule.

Even though she was shot by the high power compressed magic and had struggled like she was having a nightmare, yet nothing dramatic had happened.

But the indicator was still indicating an abnormal value. Also, they were losing control of ‘Yggdrasill’.

The situation had suddenly become tense.

Even the emergency trigger had been triggered and the bell was ringing loudly.

-Dong!

At that instant, Anya heard something from the ground.

“What is that… Sound?”

As if to prove that it was not an illusion, ‘Yggdrasill's’ magic indicator exploded.

“Uwaa!”

Something groaned and then many of the surrounding devices started to explode with red flames. More of the technicians were now abandoning their posts, running away in fear.

“Don’t panic! Keep calm!”

Dr. Hoffman shouted but not even a single soul was listening.

Because in everyone’s sights was Eco.

Although she was still caged in the capsule. Eco’s body was now glowing with a dim light.

Even Anya was captivated by the sight in front.

“Dr. Hoffman! Let’s escape!” A young researcher advised Dr. Hoffman.

The rest of the researchers were agreeing with him and anxiously looked at Dr. Hoffman.

Anya left the wall and walk towards Dr. Hoffman’s back.

“Dr. Hoffman, I also think that it would be wise if we escape now.”

“No!” Dr. Hoffman yelled.

Anya was stunned by Dr. Hoffman’s aura. She had thought of him as a kind old man and was forced to act cruel as a researcher. Who would know that he would have such a stubborn side.

“What are you thinking! Even an outsider like me knows that this is dangerous! Isn’t there Millennium attached to that device too?”

What Anya was actually worried about ''is'' the existence of the Millenniums. Just in case the Millenniums explode… Anya was thinking. Let alone Beowolf, it is not even surprising if entire capital city of Fontain disappeared from the maps forever.

However, Dr. Hoffman shook his head slowly.

“…I won’t. That will not happen. The energy in the Millenniums has run dry.”

“What?”

“All the magic energy… Was fully absorbed by experimental material α.”

“-!”

Anya looked at Eco dumbstruck.

The intensity of Eco’s light was getting stronger, past the level where one couldn’t look at her directly. Those ‘Dong’ sounds had become clearer.

Even though there were no dangers of the Millennium exploding, it doesn’t mean that they were free from danger. Eco right now is seen as the bomb.

Later, there was the loud sound of something breaking.

Different from the normal explosions, that explosion sounds like it was originated from something being applied pressure on.

“α… α is escaping!”

A researcher shouted.

The capsule containing Eco was now in ruins and the liquid was flowing out like waterfall.

Eco can be seen floating with her eyes closed- in a short moment, she disappeared. What’s left is only stardust like magic particles floating in the air.

“She… Disappeared…?”

Anya dumbstruck, murmured alone.

===Part 5===
“Hey… Somethings wrong with Beowolf!?”

When Maestro Lancelot reached the landing space at a height of twenty meters, Silvia shouted:

“That is…!”

Ash who was riding on Lancelot behind Silvia widened his eyes.

The sacred airship Esperanza, airship Crown Solas and air ship Silvanus were lined up together.

On the other hand, the huge airship Beowolf was parked quite some distance away from the trio.

The suspicious thing was the black smoke emerging from Beowolf.

Could it be a fire?

If Eco is inside… Ash was too scared to think about it.

“Urgh…!”

At this moment, Ash felt a burning sensation from his left hand.

Although he nearly screamed in pain, he managed to tolerate with it.

It felt like suddenly putting his hand into a furnace.

“Is everything alright, Ash!?”

Silvia was worried about him and turned around and asked, but Ash couldn’t even reply because of the pain.

The ‘Seikoku’ engraved on his left arm was slowly moaning.

A while later, there was a glaring light coming out from his left arm and his sleeve up to his shoulders was burned off. Even the bandage was burned into pieces.

In a blink of an eye, Ash’s ‘Seikoku’ on his left arm was exposed.

“Wha…!”

The ‘Seikoku’ on his hand was glowing with a different light intensity from time to time.

Ash was panicking.

It will be alright if it was just glowing but the heat and the pain sensations had no intention of stopping.

It felt that his left arm is going to explode anytime.

“Hey… What is actually happening?”

Silvia was in shock while holding the reins which was probably caused by the fright she experience from seeing Ash’s ‘Seikoku’s’ reaction.

“I don’t know… But I am now sure that I am again connected to Eco!”

Just like responding to Ash’s left arm, there was an object glowing in the sky.

“Ash! Look upwards!”

Silvia who noticed the abnormality was pointing at the sky. Ash too had noticed.

There was something glowing on the sky above the landing area.

“That is…”

The mysterious light was floating in the sky as if it was decorating it.

On the other hand, the full moon didn’t look as charming as before.

By taking a closer look, it was an egg with beautiful flow lines.

There was a big emblem that was carved on the pearl like egg. At a first glance, it looked like a royal emblem.

To be more specific, that emblem looked like Ash’s ‘Seikoku’.

-Don… Don… Don…

There was a frighteningly deep beating sound from the egg.

The confusing part is, it moved with the same rhythm as the glow on Ash’s ‘Seikoku’.

Ash immediately understood.

“I couldn’t be more wrong… Eco is in that egg!”

“How is that possible? What are you talking about…?”

“Princess, I beg you. Please take me there!”

“…Alright. I believe in you. Fly Lancelot! Fly higher!”

But Lancelot ignored her orders. It stayed at the twenty meters height and looked at the egg with its head up.

“Hei… Lancelot? Anything wrong? Fly immediately!”

Even though Silvia shouted strictly, Lancelot still ignored her orders. On the other hand, it did an emergency landing at a corner of the landing space.

“What are you doing? Are you disobeying my orders, Lancelot!”

“…It is useless, Princess. It seems that Lancelot has its own reason.”

“What did you say?!”

Silvia looked at Ash with an imposing manner.

“Do you know what Lancelot was thinking?”

“…I am not sure. It was probably affected by the ‘Seikoku’. I don’t know why, but I could somehow understand what Lancelot was thinking.”

After Ash and Silvia were forced to alight from Lancelot unwillingly, Lancelot again spread its wings and shoot up into the sky.

Looking at Lancelot’s direction, Ash found out something important.

“Princess! There are more and more… Maestros gathering together!”

Groups of Maestros were gathering from all directions. It had become an amazing night view created by the light from the Maestro’s magic.

One by one the Maestros appeared and gathered at the corner of the sky.

For Maestros, whose total numbers were already small to begin with, to gather together, it was unheard of even in the old times––

===Part 6===
“What is actually happening…?”

Lancelot left its master and flew off on its own.

Although this had given Silvia a great blow, the view of the night sky still gave her a deep impression.

Silvia could clearly hear the ‘Pssshh’ sounds of the beating of the wings.

When she had personally realized the dream like view, all her attention had been captured by it.

That egg even had wings growing out of it and feathers with silver lights were falling off. It was like snows that beautify the night sky.

Then- there was a crack from the egg shell.

The winged egg split into two-

“Uoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

A roar as if it was a horn announcing the end to the world could be heard all over.

Silvia who couldn’t look straight into the glaring light closed her eyes. When she reopened her eyes, the winged egg was no longer there. It was replaced by something that was not of this world.

To describe this thing with a word will be either – GOD or DEVIL.

However what Silvia said was insulting.

“What a scary monster…!”

[[Image:SnRK V04 193.jpg|thumb|What a scary monster…!]]

“Stop! You are not allowed to say that!”

Ash shouted and brought Silvia back o her sense.

“That must be...Eco. I can feel it... I can feel it!”

“Sorry, Ash...”

Although Silvia was annoyed by her gaffe, she still couldn’t believe that it was Eco.

Later, Eco landed slowly while being surrounded by numerous Maestros.

Although the pink fur and the red eyes is similar to Eco, but her horns looked sharp and fierce and doesn’t at all look like Eco’s round stubs.

Also, there was a third horn in between the two horns. It was like a unicorn’s horn and stood up straight.

Her wings, which were spread out widely, were different from a normal Maestro’s. It made one think of an angel’s wings.

Followed by a loud bang, Eco landed.

Eco lifted up her gigantic hind leg up high- And The large airship that had been the pride of the Empire was squashed in a few seconds.

With the conning tower being right at the middle, Beowolf had been squashed into a V shape and it immediately exploded.

Yet, Eco was not at all affected.

Eco probably lost interest in Beowolf and tried to wriggle her long neck. She slowly lowered her center of gravity.

The target of her scarlet eyes was the window of the tall Fontaine Palace.

===Part 7===
––An unidentified flying object appeared above the capital and all the Maestros in the country disobeyed their masters’ orders and gathered together.

Veronica, who received the emergency report, brought Glenn, the captain of her escorts, along with her to the ballroom at the highest floor of the palace.

Anyway, there were important guests in the ballroom that gathered from all over the continent. No matter what happened, she must protect their safety in the name of the pride of the Knight’s country.

At the same time, she must bring back her father Oswald with her. He had most probably changed his appearance and was drinking while mingling in the crowd.

While running on the long corridor, Veronica questioned Glenn:

“Did you too lose contact with your pal?”

“It totally ignored my summons and ignored my request to present me my Ark. From the looks of the current situation, where all the Maestros are gathering in the capital’s sky, it probably has something to do with the unidentified flying object.”

“Then, our pride, the Holy Dragners of Lautreamont can be considered no more. If the Empire attacked us at this moment, without the protection of the Maestros, this country will fall in just a single night.”

For the inability to defend... “I don’t have an excuse to offer.” <ref>面目次第も有りません have also the meaning of ‘It is a shame I don’t have the power to…’</ref>

Glenn lowered his head somberly.

===Part 8===
When Veronica and Glenn arrived at the ballroom the palace music, along with the party atmosphere of the nobles, had disappeared.

Most of the guests were by the glass window and were looking downwards in shock. From there they can view the landing tarmac for the airships.

“That’s…!”

Veronica was also looking downwards through the glass window.

“It is dangerous to stand beside the window, Princess!”

Glenn warned her but Veronica ignored him.

There was a change in the landing area.

A living object glowing with a silver light suddenly landed there.

''-Uoooooooooooooooooo…!''

It was immediately followed by a loud roar that will make one feel like covering the ears.

It was stated in the previous report that ‘an unidentified flying object that looked like a huge egg’, but it seemed that the huge egg had hatched when Veronica was on her way.

The unbelievable thing is, that huge monster had easily split the Empire’s huge airship Beowolf into two with just one stomp.

Right at this moment, there was a man from the crowd was making a fuss.

“Ooh, what is happening! How can a dragon of the Knight’s… Destroy the Empire's most advance airship which is our country’s pride! I don’t think that this is some simple matter!”

The man's words caused an uproar in the ballroom.

Until a moment ago, everyone had just found out that this monster is a dragon.

Talking about a dragon, everyone will think about Lautreamont Knight Country.

“Is that person… Klaus Viderhausen! He is obviously trying to cause a stir!”

Veronica angrily scolded and glared at the Empire’s young noble.

However, there was a man who stupidly tried to argue with Klaus.

“Nonsense! That monster had nothing to do with our country!”

Although the man was wearing a lion shaped mask, judging from his plum body, Veronica immediately knew who he is.

He is her father, Oswald.

“Klaus-dono! This is the truth! That monster has nothing to do with us! Please believe in me!”

“Hu… What you said was not at all convincing. Anyway, everyone here is a witness.”

Klaus was not even bothered by Oswald.

It was because what Klaus said is true. A huge dragon that suddenly appeared and with no warning had destroyed the Empire’s airship right in front of everyone here.

Nothing could be worst than this.

Chevron Kingdom and Zepharos Empire, who had never see each other eye to eye, were originally going to discuss about furthering peace between them in tomorrow’s continental congress ‘Elysium’.

To Chevron Kingdom and its ally Lautreamont Knight Country this should be a historical event.

“Stop… Let alone the Emperor, not even one royal from the Empire attends. It is a total joke. The Empire has never wanted peace––”

Just as Veronica finished her sentence, there were people screaming from everywhere.

Everyone was in a panic.

All the guests who were wearing their mask, everyone, including the musicians and the waiters, were trying to escape.

Apart from Oswald, who was now crying, Klaus, who had just previously put the blame on the Knight Country, was also fleeing.

“What…!”

Veronica who immediately turned around was also sweating tremendously.

There was a pair of scarlet eyes looking into one of the many palace windows.

She spent a few seconds to figure out that the dragon had stretched its neck and was looking into Fontaine Palace.

“Glenn, if I try to slash the pair of eyes with my huge sword… Do you think I have any chance of winning?”

“Please forgive my rudeness… Even if Princess... You are no match for it.”

Glenn told the truth directly.

"Why must you be this honest?"

Veronica was sulking while she confronted the dragon eyes.

The round eyes.

''It looked like a baby’s pairs of eyes. Although it looked naïve, if this monster just rubbed its nose on the palace walls... Fontaine Palace will turn into dust in seconds. Furthermore, it will be a hill full of bricks and corpses…'' Veronica could still manage a smile.

Even though she was thinking of such scenario.

“Kuku… So this is of feeling of my life being controlled by others. I praise you, my child!”

Seeing that Veronica had no intention of escaping, Captain Glenn advised her in panic:

“Princess, please retreat!”

“I mustn’t. Some of the guests are still here.”

Veronica looked around the empty ballroom.

There was a man with a mask standing at the middle of the dance floor.

The man was wearing a elegant suit. However his hair colour was like a cloth stained with blood.

He is obviously the guy in the reports–– Milgauss.

Veronica looked at him in admiration.

“Hmm… You indeed look a little like Julius. Remove your mask!”

To her surprise, he actually did it. He could be seen silently removing his mask and threw it to a side as if he doesn’t need it anymore.

“-!”

Veronica’s eyes widened.

The handsome face beneath the mask was undoubtedly Julius of ten years later who had now become a seinen.<ref>青年, man with age range between 20-
30.</ref>

He no longer had the rebellious feel with him in his teenage years and was replaced by a feeling of a weapon that had been well polished.

“So you are Julius…!”

As if to sweep away her worries, Julius walked to the side of the window. At the same time, the dragon’s face disappeared as if it had lost interest with the empty ballroom.

Julius was standing by the window looking at the huge dragon.

“Kukuku… I have been waiting for this moment for a long time!”

That sinful voice and the devil like smile made Veronica feel uneasy.

Glenn took a step forward as if trying to ask on behalf of Veronica.

He unsheathed his sword that was on his waist.

“You can’t be Julius, no? My friend would never show such a malicious smile."

“Oh, Glenn McGuire! I remembered you are one of the guys that appeared in Julius’s memories. It should be suitable to use ‘it has been a long time’ in this situation, don’t you think so?”

“What do you mean!”

“You still don’t get it? This body is indeed Julius’s. However, I am not Julius... Although I can peek into Julius’s memories anytime."

“What is happening…?”

Veronica was curious but it was not bothered by the man.

“Kneel! Quick! Look carefully! You are witnessing a historical moment!”

The man was acting like a holy man in the religious painting. He spread his arms widely and declared his name.

“I am Mordred! The descendant of the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family.”

Vreonica couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

The Maestro that Julius sacrificed his life to kill is named Mordred. It is also Julius’s Pal.

''Is it possible that Mordred has taken over Julius’s body?''

In regards of Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family–– Veronica had only recently heard about this name.

The ‘Old Testament of the Stella Biblia’ that Dr. Angela Cornwell found in Willingham Mausoleum.

Basically, Veronica had read through the copy of the book.

She recalled a part of the book.

“…After the wise dragon Inbroke, two major bloodlines were formed. They are the Avalon’s holy dragons emperor family and the Nehalennia’s dark dragons king family. An endless war started between these two families. After the members of the two families reincarnated, they will encounter each other, hate each other and kill each other.”

The person in front had introduced himself as the descendant of the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family.

Then, who is the person who should be representing the descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family-?

At this moment, Veronica stopped thinking because of Glenn’s shout.

“So I see… You are the root of evil! I knew that Julius didn’t turn crazy! He will always be loyal to his beliefs and tried to have you removed even when he had to commit a crime in the Knight Country!... Return Julius to us!”

Followed by a shout, Glenn reduced their distance and there was a silver flash.

However, Mordred easily parried Glenn’s slash.

“Urgh!”

Glenn growled.

Mordred had stopped the high speed slash with only his index and middle finger.

Glenn could be seen standing still while holding his sword. No, that’s not the case, Veronica understands well.

It was not that Glenn was not moving, it was because that he was unable to move.

Mordred had overpowered Glenn with just two fingers.

“Hmph… I will let you experience the punishment for being disobedient to a ''god''." Mordred gave a cold smile

Immediately after, there was a flash.

“Gwaaa!”

Glenn was knocked up into the air while unable to even resist. He knocked into the wall hard and became unconscious.

Veronica didn’t even have the time to care about Glenn and stared at Mordred.

“…I don’t understand. As far as I know, you should have a good relationship with Julius. Didn’t you even present him with an ark?”

“Hmph, the one who has a good relationship with Julius is another me. That me who acknowledged Julius as its master and associated with him quite well."

“Another me? What are you talking about?”

“Let me generously explain it to you as your last gift before you die. There were two personalities in Mordred. If it was to be a human, it would be called a split personality.”

“What happened to the other personality?”

“It has disappeared together with the body. Ironically, although it was itself, Julius had originally planned to kill me. For my part, to prevent myself from dying, I sacrificed my body and changed into this spiritual form and inhabited Julius’s body.”

Upon saying that, Mordred looked out of the window.

Right beside the palace, the dragon was standing on its hind legs and was looking around curiously. It seemed to be troubled because it couldn’t understand what was happening.

Mordred declared to that dragon:

“Descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family, I will take that body of yours!”

“Now I understand, so this is what you planned…!”

At this stage. Veronica finally found out what Mordred is aiming for.

Mordred had once lost her body in the past when it was killed by Julius.

However, if it could take over the body of the descendant of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family, it can once again be born as the strongest dragon…!

“That will never happen, Mordred!”

Veronica unsheathed the huge sword on her waist.

Even though she knew that he was not an opponent that she could win in a direct confrontation, she still couldn’t bear to watch idly from the side.

''I will kill Mordred together with Julius’s body before she can manage to take over Avalon’s body-'' Veronica rushed forward while thinking.

Even when it's her brother’s body that we are dealing with... She had no intention of showing any mercy.

But, before Veronica could land a hit on Mordred, suddenly, there was darkness emerging from his body and spread all over the ballroom.

“Urgh… What is this dark mist… My conscious…!”

The moment she was surrounded by the darkness, Veronica felt a strong feeling of vomiting and fainting.

===Part 9===
After struggling for some time in the darkness––without knowing what was happening–– The darkness had finally disappeared.

“Are you alright, Veronica?”

There was a guy who held out his hand to Veronica who was struggling to stand up.
[[Image:SnRK V04 207.jpg|thumb|To her surprise; Mordred, who should be busy with taking over Avalon’s descendent's body, is attempting to help her up.]]
“You…!”

There was killing intent in Veronica’s eyes.

To her surprise; Mordred, who should be busy with taking over Avalon’s descendent's body, is attempting to help her up.

However, there was no longer evilness on his face.

“You… Could you be Julius?”

“Ahh, that is me. You are still the same old you for not calling me ‘Anii-ue’.”

It seemed that, because Mordred was gone, Julius was able to take back his body.

“Of course… You F.O.O.L”

Upon hearing that Julius smiled, but he immediately returned back to his serious expression.

“Sorry, but now is not the time for us siblings to be arguing. Mordred's spirit has already inhibited Eco’s body. We have the obligation to defeat Mordred and protect this city.”

At that instant, Veronica felt a pain from her head as if she had just been struck.

“Hold on! Did you just say Eco? That huge dragon… is actually Eco?”

“I will explain the details to you later. Can you stand up?”

“Hmph… Whom do you think you are talking to!”

Using the huge sword as a walking stick, Veronica put all her effort into standing up. But, it was probably the side effect of inhaling in the darkness, in the end, she fell down again.

“Princess!”

The person who reached Veronica first was Glenn. Although he was badly injured, he had regained consciousness.

Glenn held on to Veronica and glared at Julius.

“Julius… I have numerous things that I want to tell you, but please allow me to tell you this first.”

“I can guess what you want to say but be my guest.”

While facing the calm Julius, Glenn, with mixed feelings, shouted to Julius:

“You… Damn you!”

===Part 10===

Seeing that the Empire’s airship was easily crushed, the sacredship Esperanza and magicship Crown Solas flew off immediately.

Only the magicship Silvanus remained at its location overlooking the whole incident.

Although Silvanus had yet to attack Eco, Ash was still worried since it's captain is Veronica.

Even so, seeing that Silvanus still hasn’t made its decision, Veronica was probably not aboard the ship. They were most probably waiting for Veronica’s orders.

On the other hand, if Veronica had boarded the ship, there is a high chance that she will issue an attack on Eco. To protect the capital, Veronica will make this decision without any hesitation. Anyway, Silvanus' fire power is not something that can be ignored.

“I… I will protect Eco!”

Ash made up his mind and rushed forward.

“Hold on, Ash. Do you want to be crushed!”

Silvia blocked Ash with her arms spread.

“Please move aside, Princess! Who will protect Eco if I don’t!”

“Please keep your calm! Even so, what can you do!? How are you going to ride Eco who has just turned into... that? What’s more, what are you going to do to ride on Eco?”

“I…”

Silvia was right. During the time when the Necromancia attacked Ansarivan, he received help from Silvia and Lancelot.

But luck was not on his side. Lancelot who he could place his hope on had not yet returned after it gathered with the rest of the Maestros. The group of Maestros were still circling above in the sky while waiting for something to happen.

To his relief, after Eco crushed Beowolf, she had not made any frightening actions. Although Ash was sweating tremendously during the time she looked into Fontaine Palace through the window, he was lucky that she turned away immediately.

Right now, Eco was only looking around and sniffing the buildings around her as if to figure out what was happening. In regards to what had happened to her body, she probably hasn’t figured it out yet.

“In conclusion, we must keep her as far from the town as possible. In the case that she enters into the town…"

Upon listening to Silvia’s assumption, Ash was shaking in fear.

Fontaine City has a population of around a million.

In another words, a million lives were now in Eco’s hands.

The severity of the current situation no longer only involved Ash and Eco.

“Guooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…!”

At that moment, Eco was roaring in pain and started to struggle. There was a change in her appearance that was originally surrounded by a silver light.

Just like a white cloth that came in contact with ink, a black colour was slowly taking over the white.

“…Eco? What’s happening!”

Ash could only look on as Eco transformed, without being able to do anything.

The change in her skin was only the start.

Her angle like feathers had transformed into a crow like wings.

The previous middle horn of the three horns had disappeared and her pair of horns had turned into spiral shape.

Also, her four limbs were growing at a fast speed. It will be better to describe her as a giant like body rather than a huge beast. That huge body gave a evil feeling.

Last of all, there were nine eyes on its face where each was glowing with red light.

“Nine eyes…!”

Ash remembered something.

Eco once had a nightmare.

In her dream, was Eco attacked by the nine eyed dragon…?

-Don!

At that moment Eco, who had turned into that black dragon, gave out a real dragon breath.

The flame emitted pierced the sky and scattered the dark clouds.

If this flame were aimed at Fontaine Palace or the town… Ash felt Goosebumps just by thinking of it.

“Silvia, so you are here!”

At this moment, there was a fierce voice coming from behind.

It was Veronica and Glenn when they turned around.

Glenn was badly injured and looked more like an old rag.

Apart from that–– There was another man following Veronica.

It was already surprising if a person was allowed to walk side by side with Veronica, yet it was far more surprising when they noticed the man’s hair colour.

“Milgauss! Why are you here!”

Ash felt that he was having more Goosebumps all over his body. At the same time, he felt that Milgauss looked familiar. He remembered that he had seen that face in a portrait.

“Are you… Anii-ue?!”

Silvia shouted before Ash.

“Yeah. Although it is a little hard to believe, I am Julius. But I don’t have the time to give you any explanations right now. Firstly, we need to get rid of Mordred’s spirit from Eco’s body–– Ash...”

When his name was suddenly called by Julius, Ash became nervous.

The person in front of him really felt like Prince Julius Lautreamont.

Julius stepped forward and placed his hand on Ash’s shoulder.

“Only you, as Eco's master, can save her. Understood?”

“Yes. I thought of that myself too.”

Julius smiled.

“Good answer. I will take the responsibility to bring you to Eco.”

“But… How are you going to do it?”

“Don’t worry. We have a way for that.”

After he finished his sentence, Julius was actually pointing at... The Magicship Silvanus was resting at the far end of the landing area.

===Part 11===
“Ara. I don’t remembered inviting you here… Dark Dragon King Mordred.”

In the dragon workshop, Navi and Mordred were having a confrontation. She was sitting on her favorite chair with her legs crossed.

“Kuku. This is your last time to be able to be this relaxed.”

Mordred’s spirit had still maintained Julius’s voice. It was probably because it had inhabited Julius’s body for more than ten years… At least Navi thought so.

“I have taken over sixty percent of Eco’s body. It is only a matter of time before I can fully take control of her body. Avalon is losing.”

“…”

“Next, if I can fuse together with you, I can be fully awakened as the Dark Dragon King. Follow me. Even though you are now called Navi… But… I clearly know that you are not a normal navigator. You are the incarnation of the Dragweiss.”

“Ara. Just what I imagined of the Dark Dragon King. You have made quite some investigations on your own.”

“Fuse with me quickly. Give me the supreme knowledge. Strictly speaking, Avalon and Nehalennia have the same roots… I should also be qualified to fuse with you.”

“I don’t disagree with this.”

Upon hearing Navi’s answer, Mordred smiled.

“So you agree?”

“No I don’t. It is because I don’t like Nehalennia.”

“…What do you say?”

“I'm rooting for Avalon's Imperial Princess and her knight. Especially her knight… Ash Blake, he is far manlier than you.”

“Hmph… what a fox you are. Since it has came to this… I will use force-”

Suddenly, there were numerous tentacles coming from under Mordred’s legs. They were like snakes that had found their prey and attacked Navi.

===Part 12===
“I am sorry. Could everyone apart from Ash and I leave this ship?”

Upon stepping into Silvanus’s wheelhouse, Julius spoke coldly.

The crew––responsible for the control of the wheel, communications and the rest––turned around and looked Julius in confusion. Then they are all suddenly frightened, as is they see a ghost.

They shouldn’t be blamed since the prince, that should have been executed years ago, was standing in front of them and had asked them to do something unreasonable.

“Hold on… Prince Julius! What do you plan to do?”

Seeing that Ash was requesting an explanation, at the same time Julius answered, he turned around and looked at Veronica who was preparing to sit on the captain’s seat.

“I just don’t want the rest of the people to die with us. Veronica, I hoped that you could also help me by giving out the orders.”

“Do you think that I would even listen to that joke?”

“If the sister is stubborn, the elder brother will have to face some trouble.”

The next instant, with lightning speed, Julius seized Veronica from behind. He was holding a hidden gun. It was a mechanical gun that the military of the Empire used.

Julius even chose to place the tip at Veronica’s temple.

“There is not much time. You should try to listen to your brother sometimes, Veronica.”

“Are you kidding! Silvanus is my magicship. Don’t even think of always doing what you wanted to, Julius.”

“As I have said before, I am your brother. Maybe you are a perfect princess in front of our people, but I knew your Achilles heel. If you still disobey me, I will expose it in front of everyone.”

“What Achilles heel?”

“I know that you love Silvia. There are Silvia portraits in your room. The clothes that Silva wore, Silvia’s growth record, the poem that you wrote from missing Silvia and also Silvia’s human sized doll––”

“I- I promise! Keep quite immediately!”

Ash was in a shock. He had never expected Veronica to surrender easily.

“Everyone, leave the ship immediately! This is an order from Veronica Lautreamont! No one is allowed to disobey!”

It was a direct order from Princess Veronica-sama... All the crew members rushed out from the wheelhouse.

===Part 13===
When everyone had left the magicship, Julius operated Silvanus while sitting on the pilot’s seat.

With a sudden shake of the magicship, Ash held tightly onto the communication officer's former seat to avoid falling on the floor. Looking out through one of the round cockpit windows, the magicship was rising further and further away from the ground.

It was a totally different experience from sitting on a dragon. When this lump of metal was flying with passengers–– At the same time Ash was amazed, he also started to worry about crashing.

Julius, while he was piloting Silvanus, started telling Ash the whole story.

===Part 14===
Although what Julius said was hard to believe, basically, the dragons were separated into the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family and the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family. The two families had incarnated since the ancient times and are still fighting each other right unto this day.

Also, Eco is Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family’s descendant.

In another words, Eco is the Imperial Princess of the dragons.

“…Even after I had heard of such things, it is still hard for me to believe this. Eco, who has been living with me, is obviously a girl who sleeps late, a glutton and a hot headed girl...”

“I know how you feel. When I found out that my pal is the descendant for the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king’s family, I was also astounded. In the beginning, I was also troubled by why was I chosen.”

Julius spoke on.

“Back to the topic, Avalon’s Imperial Princess’s body is really huge. Even though she is still a young dragon, she had this unbelievably huge size… It is totally unbelievable.”

After Julius pressed a few buttons on the dashboard, Eco’s body was shown on the huge screen in front.

Silvanus was three hundred meters above land and was looking at Fontaine city from the sky above.

From the screen, they can see Eco's back that had turned black because of being taken over by Mordred.

With its frightening spiral horns and nine eyes… It is exactly the image of the dark dragon king.

Eco, who was originally standing on two legs, was now standing on all four because of the pain caused by Mordred’s take over.

The worrying part is, Eco was not moving at all and yet she doesn’t look as if she is sleeping…

“Could it be that Eco is fighting Mordred?”

Julius shook his head in disagreement.

“It is impossible. Judging from the huge change of her body, I am afraid that… Eco doesn’t even have the strength to fight back.”

“Is it…”

“But not all hope is lost. In my opinion, Navi is also fighting against Mordred.”

“Navi?”

Why would he mention Navi’s name at such a time?

Before that, how would Julius know about Navi?

“Navi is the incarnation of the Dragweiss. If Navi could keep on fighting back, even after Mordred has fully taken over Eco’s body, he still couldn’t be fully awaken.”

“What do you mean?”

“Regardless of the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor or the Nehalennia’s dark dragons’ king, both of them must fuse with the Dragweiss to obtain its supreme knowledge, only then can they receive their true power. I believe that Mordred right now is trying his best to make Navi his own.”

“How come… you know so much about him?”

“That was because I shared the same body with Mordred. Just like what he did to me, to blend into the human society, I could also look into his memories.”

After hearing what Julius had said, Ash was still confused. However, there exists things that could be easily understood without the need for good brains.

“In another words, this is a great time for a counter attack while Mordred is busy dealing with Navi, right?”

“That’s right. This is our only chance for victory. If you can ride on Eco, by chasing Mordred’s spirit out, then you can save Eco and the capital together.”

Ash nodded in agreement to what Julius had said.

“I am willing to give it a try. No matter if it is Avalon or Nehalennia… I don’t think I even know what they mean. I only know that Eco is my pal.”

When Ash turned around and prepared to walk back to the hatch, Julius spoke from behind:

“Although I don’t know why you were chosen… But I am glad that you are Eco’s knight.”

===Part 15===
“Urgh…”

Ash arrived at the hatch and found that the winds were cold. Such temperatures were unheard of during the summer.

Ash was carrying a parachute–– This is a decision made by Julius and him beforehand.

When Silvanus had come close to Eco, Ash will jump off from the deck with the help of the parachute.

After landing, it's all up to Ash.

Basically, Ash had gone through the parachute landing practices at the academy.

Ash had never intended to become a soldier and had always thought that the academy was wrong to force them to go through those kinds of practices.

Anyway. The academy is not a military school–– But who would've expected that those practices would be useful right now.

“…Right there.”

Ash was looking down towards the ground from the bow and had located Eco’s back.

Although her fur had turned black the enormous amount of magic surrounding her were shooting off strong rays of light, he won’t have to worry about missing his target.

He must make use of the time that Navi was fighting against Mordred to land on Eco’s head.

Julius voice emerged from the magic communication device:

“Ash, you may jump anytime.”

“Roger that.”

Ash looked downwards for one more time.

For such a huge beast, her only blind spot will be her head.

Ash tried to imagine himself riding on Eco’s head.

To his surprise, it was not at all scary.

The ‘Seikoku’ on his left arm was getting warm and was flickering with dim light.

It felt as if his ‘Seikoku’ was urging him to move quickly.

Suddenly- Eco lifted her neck and shot a dragon breath towards Silvanus.

“…Urgh!”

A bright light pierced through the night sky. Ash surrendered against the shaking deck and fell down. Although Julius had barely avoided a direct hit, by giving the ship an emergency turn, the strong breath had burned one side of the ship into ashes.

There was smoke and fire emerging from the ship itself and it had begun to falter as it lost balance.

“Tsk…! If you kill me, Eco will die too! If that happens, you also couldn’t get your hands on Eco’s body that you desired that much...! How could someone be this stupid?”

When Ash was groaning, Julius voice could be heard once again through the communication machine:

“Ash, are you alright!”

“Yes, I am!”

“Silvanus is going to do an emergency landing! Jump quickly!”

“I also intend to do that!”

Ash clenched his teeth and jumped off from the deck.

The moment his feet left the deck, Mordred gave a second dragons breath.

Looking backwards, he saw that Silvanus’s fuselage suffered a direct hit from the dragon breath.

Ash shuddered. He was lucky that he had jumped off earlier or else he would be turned into dust also.

Although Julius had said there were going to do an emergency ‘landing’, judging from the speed Silvanus was moving downwards, it looked like it was crashing.

Finally, the unbalanced ship disappeared at the other end of the palace walls- Then a fire pillar could be seen followed by a loud explosion.

“Prince Julius…!”

Ash was sad but there was nothing he could do about it.

Julius had risked his life to fly him into the night sky.

The only thing he can do right now is to complete his mission in return.

Ash's body was moving downwards because of gravity's pull.

His face and ears felt like being crushed by the rushing air pressure.

“Now is the time!”

Ash had got the timing right and pulled the rip cord, the parachute spread open.

An amazing braking force had caused the parachute to slow down.

If another dragon breath was shot off, Ash would certainly be hit but Ash prayed that he will not have such bad luck.

“Wait for me, Eco. I will protect you… I swear!”

===Part 16===
“Damn! Where am I?”

Eco found out that she was in a cage when she woke up. When she was looking at her body, she found out that she was wearing a dress with low standards.

This style is obviously not of Eco’s preference.

Any dress in Fontaine Palace’s changing room looked better that this. It is even as heavy as lead and it felt more like a binding item rather than an evening dress.

On the other side of the cage was a wide white space. The walls, the floor and the ceiling were white. Not even a speck of dust that could be found.

“How dare anyone to cage a dragon like me in this cage… What were they even thinking!?”

Eco was definitely confused. Yet she still vaguely remembered that she was awakened as a dragon. She even remembered that she had become huge and was looking at the whole of Fontaine palace.

But her memories stopped there.

“Tsk… It seems that you are alright since you are so energetic even in such a situation as this.”

It was a familiar voice.

“Navi? You…!”

Navi was standing outside of the cage. Even though Eco disliked Navi, but in such a situation, Eco was grateful that Navi was here and felt that Navi was like an angel.

The Eco’s angel was now looking like a rag-doll.

Navi, who was always acting calm and give out a noble like feeling, was now seen with mussed up hair and even her evening dress was in rags. All over her body were the marks of being bound.

“What happened? This doesn’t look like you at all…”

Eco was taking a closer look at Navi.

“Hmm… I am only accompanying Mordred in his game. It was just that, his tentacle fetish has given me some trouble!”

“Mordred? Who is that?”

“Please lend me your hand.”

Eco stretched her hand through the gaps between the bars of the cage. After Navi held her hand, a mass amount of knowledge flowed into her brain.

In a blink of an eye, Eco knew everything that had happened. Only now did she realize that she is in her spiritual from.

“To make it simple… That person called Mordred is trying to take over my body, right?”

“That’s right. Anyway, during the time I was running around, he had done nothing bad. But if it's to destroy this capital, it will be an easy task for him.”

“Hmm… So I am such a great dragon.”

According to Navi’s information, Eco is Avalon’s Imperial Princess.

“Huhu. Now Ash is going to look at me differently.”

Seeing that Eco was feeling proud, Navi sighed.

“As long as he can survive. He seems to be doing something foolhardy again.”

Navi held Eco’s hand again and Eco closed her eyes.

That current situation was sent into Eco’s brain as projections.

“What…!”

Eco was speechless.

Under the night sky- Ash leaned out from Silvanus’s deck.

The next instant, Mordred gave a dragon breath to the ground.

Silvanus was hit and was now gliding down from the sky, as if it was a paper plane.

On the other hand, Ash jumped into the air and was falling with his head pointing downwards.

“Hold on… Is he crazy!?”

At that moment, Eco clearly heard Ash’s mumble.

"Wait for me, Eco. I will protect you… I swear!”

In a short moment, tears started to flow from her eyes. Even though she was a spirit, her tears still kept on flowing. Even the Dragweiss couldn’t give an explanation. A warm feeling was haunting her heart… What was that feeling?

“Why…Why? Why would he… try to do so many things for me? Even when I… Have caused many, many troubles for him?”

Navi stretched her hand into the cage and patted her head.

“Do you even have to ask? It is because you are his pal.”

Eco rubbed off her tears and lifted her head.

“Navi, please tell me what can I do for him.”

“Teehee. That’s more like it.”

Navi smiled and waved her hand lightly. With a flash, the cage disappeared. At the same time, the black dress that limits Eco’s movement was broken into particles and a pure white evening dress was reveled from beneath.

In a short time, Navi removed Mordred’s seal.

“I must say that… You are very good.”

Eco was scoping out her dress. Its design compromised of the elements of elegance and purity. It is as if it was made to be worn by the Avalon’s Imperial Princess.

“No matter how great I am, I can't help you with the upcoming step. Understood?”

Eco nodded in reply.

“Then, what should I do?”

After Navi smiled, she cheekily said:

“Of course you are to present him your originally made Ark and the Avalon’s Imperial Princess.”

The next instant, Eco became confused.

“What? Are you serious?”

As if it was natural to do so, Navi nodded without any hesitation.

“All the mimics that you have created, for various emergencies in the past… are useless against Mordred.”

“But, how, am I supposed to do this impossible task!?”

An original Ark could not be completed easily.

It was because Eco had seen her ancestor’s blueprint; she understands how hard it can be. An Ark is not only a strong magic weapon, at the same time, it is also a perfect art masterpiece.

Not to mention that Eco was still a young dragon that was not even a year old without any experience. Navi’s suggestion was like asking a baby to build a palace.

“Anyway, it would not be called difficult if the blueprint could be easily created.”

Eco gave up before she even started but Navi ignored it.

“Rest assured, you must believe in your own ability. You are an Imperial Princess who is the blood descendant of Avalon.”

“But… But what we must think about is not only the armour itself, there is also the Ark-weapon…”

“Listen carefully, the shape itself doesn’t matter. It is the mental power of the creator that decides the strength of the Ark. Even if you don’t know the shape, as long as you focus, the shape of the Ark will be formed.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. Also, you don’t have to worry about the Ark-weapon. Avalon has a treasured sword that's been passed down through the generations. Just use it.”

After a moment of silent, Eco mumbled:

“…I had always disliked you since the first time I met you. Regardless of your relaxed attitude or your looks that was similar to mine or your overly large breast… I hate them and hate them very much! However… It's funny in the way that I felt you're trustable.”

Eco lifted her head and smile.

Navi also returned a smile.

At the same moment, Eco felt that a light had pierced through that darkness that had been blocking her eyes.

She didn't want to look for trouble anymore.

And she definitely doesn’t want to give in before taking up the challenge.

While the evening dress was swaying, Eco spoke with confidence:

“Just wait and see. I will definitely complete my original Ark!”

===Part 17===
“Damn… What kind of joke is this!”

Although Ash had finally landed on Eco–– Still... the landing spot was her back and not her head. It was exactly beside the joints between the body and the wings.

That same pair of wings were like the wings of a new born bird. They are still wet and unable to fly right away.

Maybe this is my only life saver… Ash secretly thought.

Black fur was growing from her uneven skin. It felt like a Necromancia. He must get rid of Mordred’s spirit and return Eco to her original appearance as soon as possible.

To achieve this, he must try to ride her gigantic body. However… Ash was looking at Eco’s head from afar.

Connected to her back, that was as wide as prairie, was a long neck that looked as if it was a stairway climbing up to heaven. And her head, with the spiral horns, was at the other end of that neck.

His current aim was to ride on her head and try to control her using his will as a dragner. However… The distance between them was huge. It was like trying to climb the dangerous Xenoglavia Mountains without any climbing tools.

“Stop it! …This is not the time to give up.”

Ash threw aside the parachute and moved forward while pushing aside the fur that was taller than himself.

“Now I really looked like a louse…”

In reality, Mordred treated Ash ''as'' nothing but a louse. That is why he was not bothered by Ash at all.

“Just wait and see. Your overconfidence will be the cause of your death, Mordred…”

Although Ash kept on talking to himself to boost his confidence, but every time he looked towards her head, he felt like falling apart.

Suddenly, there was a change in the night sky.

Those Maestros, who were originally circling in the sky, started to make their move.

Those Maestros could be seen gliding towards Mordred and had him surrounded.

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrr…”

Mordred lifted his neck and gave a threatening growl. However, before he even managed an attack, the Maestros activated their magic all at the same time.

With a flash, chains that were made from magic appeared. Numerous chains now tied down the huge dragon’s neck, front legs, hind legs, tail…

“Guuuoooooooooooooooooooo…!”

Mordred was struggling with all his might but the chains wouldn’t budge even a little.

“They…!”

It can’t be wrong. These Maestros were trying to seal Mordred’s movement. Who knows if they were thinking that the dragon worthy to take to top is not Mordred but Eco.

At that moment, a Maestro landed right in front of Ash. Its pair of horns looking like a deer’s, also looked familiar to Ash. Then a clear voice could be heard coming from behind the dragon.

“Ash… Hurry up!”

“Lucca!? Why are you here?”

That is. The Maestro that suddenly appeared from above was Gawain, and Lucca was riding on its back. Ash felt nostalgic.

Lucca while feeling worried gave Ash a short explanation.

“Err… The Maestros in the dragon house seven were all escaping together. I risked my life to cling onto Gawain… In the end, I found out that I was already here.”

“Did Rebecca and Max come together?”

Lucca shook her head. It was probably Ash's mistake that he felt that Lucca’s ears were slightly drooping.

“Only I noticed that something was going on with the Maestros…”

“Is that so…”

As if to interrupt Ash’s and Lucca’s conversation, Gawain roared with its jaws opened.

It was as if trying to tell Ash to ride on it quickly. Ash naturally didn’t reject this offer.

“Thank you!”

Just as Ash sat on Gawain’s back, Gawain flapped its wings.

After piercing through the night sky, Gawain’s altitude was increasing while following along the direction of Mordred’s neck. Lucca’s riding skills were as good as ever and could only be described as perfect.

Ash was clinging tightly to Lucca’s thin waist to avoid from dropping off.

However, Mordred would not stay silent. Although he was being tied down, it was still struggling and roaring loudly.

Suddenly, magic cannons continued to appear in the sky and were firing at Gawain.

Ash was trembling when he saw those cannons.

It was because those cannons looked like the weapon that Ash used during his fight with Milgauss in Willingham Mausoleum. The only difference is, each cannon was around Gawain’s size.

“Magic shield Aegis…!”

“Need not worry… It will be alright as long as we are not hit.”

Lucca was not at all shaken.

As if she had fused with Gawain, she was controlling Gawain by moving left and right and dangerously avoided the crossing light rays.

Gawain even used its dragon breath and one by one the magic canons were destroyed.

When Gawain had successfully passed Mordred’s head, all the magic cannons had disappeared.

“Ash, nows the time…!”

Just when Lucca shouted, Gawain did a somersault.

At the point where the sky was upside down, Ash jumped down.

He drew a big locus in the night sky and successfully lands in between the two horns. Looking from a close distance, the horns looked more like an altar than a horn.

When his feet landed on that spot, he felt satisfied. It was probably his dragner’s intuition that told him this is the best riding spot.

“Listen carefully Eco!”

Ash was shouting with all his might at his ‘Seikoku’ that was connected to Eco:

“Right now, I am going to ride you! I swear I will be successful in riding you! Whether you are an Imperial Princess or not it has nothing to do with me! So what if you are an imperial princess? You are always bad tempered, try to solve anything with force, a sleepy head, only have crepes in your eyes and feel like wanting to bite greedily whenever you see meat. Are these what an Imperial Princess should do! Even if you really are an Imperial Princess, I will never approve it!... I only know that–– I am your knight, and you are my pal. Things are just as simple as this!”

The next instant, there was a change in his left arm that was dense with ‘Seikoku’.

The ‘Seikoku’ can be seen emitting rays of light that were able to light up the entire night sky. Then patterns started to crawl just like some living things.

No, the patterns were growing.

“W-What had happened…?”

Just when Ash was feeling confused, his ‘Seikoku’ started to spread outwards towards Ash entire body with his left arm as the starting point.

Ash found that his connection with Eco had become stronger.

Although he couldn’t communicate with Eco verbally, yet, he was sure that he was connected to Eco…!

But, Ash's thinking only lasted for a short moment.

“Guuuuuuuoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…!”

Mordred was back on the move. He had broken one of the chains and was standing on two legs.

“Auuu…!”

Lucca groaned. The wind created when Mordred stood up had affected Gawain. Although it was not blown away by the wind, it was obvious that it could not retain its balance. However, Lucca shouted:

“Don’t worry about me… I am alright! Ash, just focus on saving Eco…!”

Then, Lucca and Gawain finally fall back and disappeared from Ash’s line of sight.

“Lucca…!”

Ash stretched his arm but he could only grab the air.

The Maestros that were scattered in the sky tried to make another chain to tie down Mordred’s upper body.

But before Mordred could be sealed, it forcefully shook its neck.

“Uwaaaaaaaaa!”

Ash lost his balance and was thrown up into Fontaine Palace like a cannonball.

-This is a lie… It must be…?

He was approaching the tower in the middle of Fontaine Palace.

If he was to hit into such stone wall…he will definitely die.

-Is this the end…? Is Eco and I… Going to end right here?

Right at this moment.

『Almete, Gorjal, Peto…』

The voice of the spell was coming from his ‘Seikoku’ that had spread all over his body.

『Espaldar, Brafoneras, Faldaje…』

It was definitely Eco’s voice.

『Escarcelas, Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales…』

Compare to the previous times, every single word that Eco said was followed by a deep tone.

『Codales, Antebrazos, Manoplas…』

Without any reason, Ash felt courage from within.

『Quijotes, Guardas, Grebas… Escarpes…』

Lastly, Eco was left with the last word.

『-Espolón!』

Ash, who was quickly going to crash into Fontaine Palace, was surrounded by holy light.

It felt as if he was surrounded by angel’s wings.

Even though Ash had an illusion of himself ascending to heaven... Eco’s voice had disrupted these peaceful feeling.

『“You absolutely must accept my feelings!”』

===Part 18===
As he opened his eyes, Ash was standing at the highest point of Fontaine Palace.

“I- I am saved?”

He saw Mordred was standing ferociously with only two legs while still being bound by the chains of the Maestros.

All of the nine eyes were burning deeply with the flames of rage and each looked like a scarlet star. Even though he was trying his best to break free from the existing chains, those Maestros kept on creating new chains.

“This… What is this feeling?”

Ash was looking at his own body.

His entire body was emitting heat and was overflowing with magic.

It has to be the Ark that Eco presented to me–– Yet to Ash’s dismay, what he was wearing right now was still his cloths that looked like rags.

There was not even an Ark that could be seen.

Even so, Ash still continued to feel safe as if he was protected by the Ark. Furthermore, the ‘Seikoku’ that was on his entire body was alive.

What is happening?

『Hey, why are you daydreaming! Quickly use the Ark-weapon!』

Eco’s voice was once again could be heard in his mind

“Eco…? What is happening?”

『T-that is…?』

Without any reason, Eco became silent. It felt as if she was embarrassed because of a certain something.

As if to speak on Eco’s behalf, another voice appeared in his mind.

『Huhu. That is an original Ark that Eco has created on her own. However, it is still incomplete and even the shape has not been decided on yet.』

“This voice… Are you Navi!”

『The Ark represents proof of the oath of a dragon that swears to hand over their body and feelings to their knight. At the same time, it was a proof that it was connected to the Master’s heart. Right now, you are recognized as Avalon’s knight.』

『I-I only wanted to get back my own body!... It was never meant to be given to you!』 Eco expectantly added.

『Ara? Who is the person who was crying because she was worried about Ash? I wonder.』

『"Sh-Shut up!"』

Eco and Navi seemed to have started an argument.

Ash made a difficult smile because only they could still have the mood to quarrel even during such a dangerous situation.

All the negative emotions like insecurity and fear had disappeared.

However- Right after that, Ash had a bad premonition as if a pair of cold hands held on to his spirit. When he raised his head, Mordred’s eyes were filled with sparks and were marking him.

It had obviously begun to take notice of Ash who had only just previously been disregarded as a louse.

“Guuuuuoooooooooooooooooooooo…!”

Although Mordred was still bound by those magic chains, after putting in some effort, he still managed to open his jaws

There was a ball of light that could be seen appearing in front of his nose and it was slowly expanding-

Ash felt a large amount of energy from it. It was thanks to the Ark that his senses had sharpened.

Navi warned Ash in his mind.

『That’s bad. Even though Mordred has not completely fused with me, he is still very strong…!』

“Rest assured. I will personally deal with it.”

Ash immediately started to search for information regarding his Ark-weapon. Thanks to his experience in equipping those mimics, his was able to complete his search in a short time.

Ash smiled from within his heart.

The Ark-weapon forming in his mind was undoubtedly the strongest sword that had ever existed.

Ash readied his posture and started to chant the spell.

“An iron that could slash through anything…”

For every word he said, his ‘Seikoku’ that was all over his body was emitting heat and reacted strongly to it.

"A holy sword meant for a knight of all knights––”

At the same time... Ash felt an overflowing unlimited amount of magic emanating from his palm.

The one and only treasured sword that had been passed down through generations by generations in the Avalon’s holy dragons’ emperor’s family had now shaped its form in Ash’s palm.

“Appear–– Excalibur!”

It was not only a huge brave and beautiful sword but also an Ark-weapon.

On its silvery white hilt were many scarlet coloured Millenniums and they were shining brightly.

After he wielded the holy sword with both hands tightly, Ash leaped.

At the same time, Mordred was about ready to throw out its dragon breath.

That one ball of light, started to emerge, with such overwhelming power that could destroy the entire capital, to ground level, within the blink of an eye. Followed by some purple electric bolts flashing around Mordred’s head, the ball of light was released at Ash’s direction.

To make matters worse, Ash couldn’t avoid it because the entirety of Fontaine Palace and the capitol City were right behind him.

No–– In reality, I won’t even need to avoid it.

“Uooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Ash as if he had forgotten about his fear rushed towards the ball of light.

In respons to Ash’s verve, the Millenniums at the hilt of the holy sword increased their radiance giving out a bright light.

The presently shapeless Ark was releasing all its magic.

“Kirisakeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” <ref>斬り裂け. Means to get split and break apart.</ref>

Just before being swallowed by that attack, Ash swung the most powerful strike.

––Cut!!! <ref>斬. Ii was a word that was usually shouted when someone wanted to cut/slash/chop/kill off something.</ref>

At the same time the lump of energy was split into two, Ash was in mid-air. His vision was full of white and he could see nothing at all.

If not because of the protection he received from the Ark, all the cells in his body would have been vaporized to hot plasma. Ash was indeed slashing through such high amount of thermal energy.

In the end, his vision finally widened.

The dragon breath that was sliced into two had its trajectory changed and each had landed at the Fontainia plains on both sides of the capital and had exploded.

Although it was a huge explosion, apart from the strong wind, Fontaine City remained intact.

Ash lifted again Excalibur and pointed it at Mordred’s head.

At that moment, there was a creepy voice coming from Ash’s mind.

…Hold on! If you harm this body, the daughter of Avalon will also be––

The nine eyes kept on blinking as if it still had something to say.

“Haa! Now you start to beg from me… Know your place, Mordred!”

Ash remained determined and continued to land at the head.

Of course Ash knew that this body originally belonged to Eco.

He never had the intention to simply slash around with this sword.

However, to get rid of Mordred’s spirit, he needs Eco to bear with it for a few more moments.

What Ash intended to do was not to kill Eco but to make her lose her strength.

Where is the best place to land my attack?

There is not enough time to think of such complicated problems.

It is because apart from Eco’s and his own life, Ash was burdened with the lives of millions of residents of the capital. Ash decided to wager everything he had in the only possibility he could think of.

“Eat this, Mordred!”
[[Image:SnRK V04 243.jpg|thumb|“Eat this, Mordred!”]]

Ash was landing at full speed.

''What are you trying to do…? Do you want to follow the Julius's footsteps and become a ‘dragon slayer’? I can’t understand this, I just can’t understand this…!''

Ash didn’t reply and had no intention of doing so.

“Whether you are a god or a devil-”

Ash’s sword and Mordred’s horn clashed with each other.

“All the dragons will have to listen to my command, not to mention––”

After he had pinpointed the crucial point to release Eco, Ash swung Excalibur-

“If it is my '''P.A.L'''!”

Followed by a sound of a metal clashing with rocks, the night sky was swallowed by a white light.

The thing that was chopped off by Ash and was flying in mid-air was the left horn.

“Guuuuooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…!”

Mordred’s roar was echoing in the night.

===Part 19===

『“Huhu. Mordred must be running away with his tail curled up behind him<ref>A proverb. Basically, if an animal is defeated, it will run off with its tail between its legs thus making sure it is not wagging in the air to be bitten off.</ref> even though a spirit shouldn't have any tails.” 』

Mordred’s spirit was running under the night sky towards the east while he was seen by Navi.

On the eastern side of the country is Chevron Kingdom’s land.

『“So in the end he has escaped to Chevron Kingdom… I must wait until he rises again before I can have him captured. Right now... I should give praise to Avalon’s Knight." 』

Navi gave herself a cheer and smiled.

Eco’s spirit was no longer beside her.

===Part 20===

Ash’s final blow had chopped off Eco’s left horn.

Last month during the time Ash was in the infirmary, he had bitten Eco’s horn. Furthermore, her left horn being chopped off made her recall that feeling.

It was that ‘happy’ feeling that dragged Eco’s spirit out.

Her heart's memories and her body memories.

When both of them were thinking the same thing, Eco’s spirit managed to take back its own body and the combined effort got rid of Mordred’s spirit.

Not only is this method impractical, its succession rate too is just as low.

However, Eco’s clearly remembered the feeling that Ash gave her.

––Navi had seen it all.

The body of the huge dragon had started undergoing changes inside the glaring light.

The skin colour that was originally black had turned back to its original silvery white colour.

As for those nine creepy eyes, they had merged and returned to two clear scarlet eyes.

Then-

The body that was bigger than Fontaine Palace was shrinking slowly and, after some time, finally turned back into a young teenage girl with pink hair.

Ash gently hugged the angel like naked body in mid-air.

Although Eco was blushing, she still placed her hand on Ash’s back and hugged her knight.

"Princess of Avalon ~A.S.B.1365.7~" is closed.
<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 7

2015-08-22T17:27:08Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 7 - Masquerade */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 7 - Masquerade==
===Part 1===
'''The Seventh Continental Congress ‘Elysium’ ''~A brief introduction of the attendees of each country~'' '''

'''I. Holy Espada Agency'''

The Pope Raquel IV is in charge of organizing this congress. Even though she is nine years old, her strong clairvoyance is recognized by all. She is a genius who was recommended to become the pope at a young age. She is now accompanied by twelve cardinals.

'''II. Chevron Kingdom'''

Apart from King Zacherias III and three princes, there are also the nobles who were involved in the country’s politics who attended. They made up a total of three thousand people all together which can be said to be the biggest group.

'''III. Zepharos Empire'''

Emperor Ortofon VIII will be absent because of old age. He will be replaced by the baron of the Vandenhaar borders. Apart from that, there were a few more powerful nobles who attended. Although their numbers were next to the Chevron Kingdom’s the amount of attendees for them is unusually small.

'''IV. Labrock Trade Union'''

Led by the Caudillo EnzoSabatini, a total of seven mayors from seven major cities attended.

'''V. Lautreamont Knight Country'''

Apart from Paladin Oswald and First Princes, Princess Veronica, the Fourth Princess, Princess Silvia will attend the congress for the first time. The second and the third princess will not attend because of studying abroad. Also, there are a few nobles who attend.

===Part 2===
After putting aside the pamphlet he took with him to pass time, Ash lay down on the bed lazily.

“Just as I thought, Princess-sama is amazing.”

A few moments before, Silvia was lying on this bed exchanging gazes with him. The living Silvia is just an arm length away. But after he saw Silvia’s name on the pamphlet, he still felt that she was still at that unreachable height.

Ash took out the silver watch that was given by the Paladin.

It was already six fifteen in the evening.

“It is already this late?”

After remembering that the masquerade starts at six thirty, he made up his mind to change. Just when Ash is reaching to take down the suit hanging on the wall–– He stopped.

“What is Eco doing?”

Girls are different from guys. They need to take their time to get prepared. Ash understands that. Even so, Eco and Prim had been away for four hours.

“Even if they are slow, this is just…”

Who knows where has she been to together with Prim.

After making up his mind, Ash removed the bandages on his left arm.

His left arm that was fully covered with his ‘Seikoku’ can be seen.

“Luckily I am connected with Eco.”

Not long ago, Eco was kidnapped by Angela. During that time, Ash found Angela’s hiding place with the help of his ‘Seikoku’.

Ash placed his left fist on his forehead and held his left wrist with his right hand.

“Please… Tell me where Eco is right now!”

After a pause, his left arm started to felt hot and the embroider symbols on his left arm started to glow. Butterflies created by magic started to fly one by one. These butterflies were like road signs and normally will show ash the way to Eco.

“Huh??”

But what happen next left Ash staring blankly. The butterflies created had disappeared and the lights and heat coming from his left arm too were gone.

“What’s happening!?”

Ash stood still, dumbfounded. Even though he kept on trying for the second and third time, he still ended up failing. His ‘Seikoku’ was like a broken bright-dragon-crystal powered lamp. It stopped functioning completely.

He had a bad feeling. This is Paladin’s main city, so he had never expected for Eco to face any danger here. Still, the connection between him and Eco, that had been cut off, was still the truth.

“Damn…!”

Ash was out of options and rushed out from the room.

He was running aimlessly at the long corridor.

When he was in the room together with Silvia, Eco probably was in danger… When Ash thought about this, he was disgusted by himself.

The space in the palace is wide. Even though he had absolutely no idea where to search for Eco, still he couldn’t stay worried in his room.

Just when he was rushing at full speed at the corner, Ash saw a maid.

“Uwaa!”

“Ara ara.”

At the same time the maid was mumbling something, she nimbly avoided Ash.

Not only that, just when he was going to fall, she also seized Ash’s necktie and pulled him back. Ash was lucky as he was a few moments away from falling head down.

“It is not like the normal Ash-sama to run around panicking in the corridor.”

Ash looked back embarrassedly and saw Cosette.

Ash as if he met his savior begged Cosette to help him.

“Eco and Prim have not yet return! Even the ‘Seikoku’ had no reaction!”

Cosette immediately became serious.

“Understood. I will immediately order the maids who are not on duty to search for them. It will be better than to let Ash-sama run around aimlessly.

“Thank you! Lets––”

“You mustn’t. Please follow the original plan and attend the masquerade, Ash-sama.”

“How could I… She is my pal. It isn’t right for me not to search for her!”

“Please don’t forget that this is Fontaine City. The coming words may not be pleasant, so I beg your pardon; Since the ‘Seikoku’ is not reacting, even if Ash-sama had joined the search, there is nothing you can do.”

“Wha….!”

“On the other hand, we maids knew the structure of this palace. Please believe in us and let us handle this matter. Not to mention that Prim onee-chan is my family. I will deal this matter with full force.”

“Understood…”

After Ash promised while nodding, Cosette finally smiled.

“Although this doesn’t seem right, I must ask Ash-sama to act as Princess’s escort.”

“Princess’s escort?”

“Even though she has always been as you saw, actually, she is very timid and afraid of strangers. But, as long as Ash-sama is with her, I don’t think that it will be a problem."

Cosette’s plan should be perfect. But this is the time where Eco will face danger any moment, and yet he was enjoying the masquerade, he didn’t feel that this is the right thing to do.

As if she had seen through what ash was thinking, Cosette guaranteed:

“Please have faith in me, Ash-sama.”

Ash reluctantly accepted.

“…Alright. Eco will be in your hands.”

===Part 3===
After four in the evening, Anya returned to Beowolf through the long secret passage. After handing over Eco to Dr Hoffman, she borrowed the shower room.

Although it is summer, Anya felt very cold. She was drenched by the heavy rain outside not long before.

After entering the changing room, Anya firstly removed her maid attire that was soaked with water. Only then she removed her tight undergarments.

Lastly, she let loose her hair that was tied at the back of her head and she was now naked.

There was a huge mirror hanging on the wall in the bathroom.

“…”

It had been a long time since she stared at her own body.

Her wet dark hair, her wheat coloured skin that only the mountain people have, her small chest and her curves that looked as if the extra flesh was removed by a knife.

Without any reasons, Anya touched her breast. Compare to ‘La Tene’s’ manager, Rebecca, the president of the student council and Princess Silvia, there is nothing special about hers––but at least they could be compared with Eco’s.
[[Image:SnRK V04 004-005.jpg|thumb|'' It seems like I am not at all feminine… Anya mocked her own self. “…!” Just when she thought about that, Anya panicked. ''What nonsense am I thinking about?'' '']]

''It seems like I am not at all feminine…'' Anya mocked herself.

“…!”

Just when she thought about that, Anya panicked.

''What nonsense am I thinking about?'' In the past Anya was never bothered by her looks. It was probably that living in the dragon riding academy, for this whole time, had made her impetuous.

Logically speaking; Big breasts will become a hindrance in battle. There are even legends mentioning that female warriors, of the mountain people in the ancient times, tend to cut off one of their breasts in order to not obstruct them in archery.

“That’s it. It is better to have a small breast than to face the knife!”

After Anya tried to give herself an excuse, she turned on the tap.

Although the water was initially cold, it had turned warm in just a few moments. Anya once again was amazed by the Empire's skills as she lets the warm water flow over her head.

She hoped that her impetuous feeling will be washed away together too––

Anya, while letting the warm water run down her body with her eyes closed, thought about her previous mission.

Basically, it was a successful mission.

Even though she had underestimated Eco’s fighting ability and thus caused her four underlings to be injured... Still, since they were not spotted by any of the guards, she could force a pass on it.

“But… The problems start here.”

===Part 4===
On the third floor of the palace- In the ball room, the temperature is rising. All the guests featured a silver mask. Apart from the traditional masks that hides only the area around the eyes, there were also masks shaped like dragons, lions and many other animals. Among them, there were also guests there dressed up as a clown.

Ash, wearing the formal suit and the mask that he received from the counter, stood beside the entrance. This was because Cosette had told him that, sooner or later, he will up meet Silvia if he stood there.

The palace’s orchestra was performing a light music piece at the opposite side of the door. Ash could never be able to blend into this kind of environment.

“Eco… Where are you?”

Ash had called out with his ‘Seikoku’ numerous times… but there is still no positive result.

The ‘Seikoku’ is like a quite beach during the low tide.

“––Anything wrong? You look like as if you are worrying about something.”

Suddenly, when he heard someone was talking to him, Ash looked up in fright. A lady with a black butterfly was staring at him. The black butterfly was of course a mask. Since it only covered the top part of her face, it was easy when it come to figure out who she was.

“Huh… Princess!”

Silvia glared at Ash.

“Uwaa, sorry…”

Ash was apologizing to Silvia while trying to check any emotional changes from her.

Her glaring golden hair was tied into a mature hairstyle together with the deep red coloured ribbon that made her stand out. The long gloves that covered up to her elbow gave out the feeling of a fair lady. In her right hand was a fan which looked like the choice of a girl of high family status.

Her evening dress was blue in colour with gem stones sewed on at complimenting places, its shimmering appearance looks like she just emerged from the lake during summer. In contrast to her waist, that was bound up tightly in a corset, the lower part of her dress was let out loosely and looked like a sole-lilium. <ref>Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Wikipedia</ref>

Ash blushed. He recalled the memories two hours ago where both of them were on the bed.

“Princess… Is really beautiful.”

Ash felt pathetic as he has such a poor vocabulary. That is because Silvia is that beautiful.

“D-Don’t keep on staring at me. It’s embarrassing…!”

When Silvia noticed Ash’s sight, her cheeks turned rosy and shyly lower down her head. She opened up the fan and covered her mouth with it.

“Sorry…”

Ash was also embarrassed and turned his head aside.

There was an awkward moment in between the two and after a while, Silvia spoke:

“That’s it! I had heard of it from Cosette. It was said that Eco and Prim were lost together…”

Upon hearing, Ash was now fully awake.

“That’s right… Cosette right now was looking for them. If it is possible, I would also like to take part in the search. But, the ‘Seikoku’ is not reacting.”

“What did you say! How is it possible…?”

Just when Silvia was getting tense…

“Excuse me, miss. Can you please step aside?”

A man who was hiding his face, like the rest of the guests, was speaking to Silvia gently. The man's language bears a strong Empire’s accent.

“Ahh… Sorry.”

Silvia immediately stepped aside.

“Thank you, Princess Silvia- Sorry, tonight should be a masquerade. Hehe… It is better if we keep each other’s identity a secret.”

The man who was like a noble spoke like a poet and walked into the ballroom leisurely. Even when Silvia wore her mask, the man recognized her with just a glance.

''Who the hell is this guy''…Ash felt uneasy.

“You!”

At the next instant, Ash shouted.

The mysterious man had a follower with him. The follower initially was accompanying the man from behind but he was forced to stop when Ash held him by the shoulder.

“You are…!”

Silvia gasped when she recognized the follower.

Ash angrily asked without hesitating:

“Milgauss… Why are you here!?”

To his horror, Milgauss attempted to enter the ballroom with his usual mask.

“…Can you please let go, Ash Blake. I have nothing that I want to say to you here.”

Milgauss was calm.

Not only was Ash irritated by Milgauss when he purposely called his full name, but he also had a bad feeling about it.

“What? How dare you after doing those things…”

When Ash was going to refute, he noticed something.

The Kingdom’s language that Milgauss used doesn’t bear the Empire’s accent. Milgauss is Prince Julius–– There is a sudden increase in the probability of what Silvia had said.

“Oops. Could it be that my follower has offended both of you?”

The man before turned back to face the door. The previous tense atmosphere disappeared in an instant.

Milgauss glared at Ash as if he wanted Ash to know his place.

Through the mask, the fierce pressure that his eyes bear cause Ash to shake.

Milgauss then acted as if he had lost interest in Ash, turned around, and faced the man.

“Nothing. Just a misunderstanding. Nothing to make a fuss about.”

Even though he was a follower, Milgauss didn’t even try to speak in a humble form. <ref>Humble form is a way to express yourself in Japanese when you are speaking to a person from a higher social status.</ref>

Ash could only see them disappearing off into the crowd.

At this moment, Silvia spoke to Ash in a stuttered voice:

“That man… I knew him.”

“Really?”

“That’s it. He should be Klaus, Baron for the Vandenhaar borders.”

He had never imagined to hear the name of the agent of the Zepharos Empire’s Emperor from Silvia. In his heart, he felt a tense feeling as if someone was pointing a knife at his neck. The feeling was far more intense than the previous fights between Milgauss and Ash.

===Part 5===
After bathing, Anya changed back into a usual tribal wear.

Even though the weather was hot, she still wore the muffler around her neck. The mission before required her to remove the muffler which made her suffer a feeling like the lack of safety around her neck. Now, it is better.

After that, Anya headed to the armoury to check on Eco.

===Part 6===
Upon stepping into the armoury, the atmosphere had changed significantly into a hectic environment. ‘Yggdrasill’ seemed to be running and a buzzing sound can be heard.

The Millenniums on the body of the machine were shining. There are also the sounds of a technician reading off data shown on the screen.

It seems that Eco was already inside ‘Yggdrasill’ ––The capsule.

Her clothes were removed and she was naked.

She is just like a baby holding on to her knees floating in the capsule.

Her beautiful figure gave Anya a mysterious feeling.

“Ahh, aren’t you Anya-dono?”

The representative of the researchers- Dr. Hoffman<ref>note: Dr Hoffman’s ‘DR’ is a PHD holder’s Dr and not a medical Dr.</ref> noticed Anya and walk towards her.

“Has the experiment… begun?”

“At our current stage, there is nothing abnormal. It is all according to the plan.”

Dr Hoffman gave a gentle smile just like a kind elderly man. But this man took Eco as a experimental object without even a second though. This made Anya feel uneasy.

“It seems that Anya-dono didn’t like much about this experiment.”

Dr Hoffman’s word had hit the bull’s eye.

“N-No…!”

Anya felt embarrassed. Even though she denied verbally, everyone can tell that she is lying by the look of her face.

“It is alright. You are still young.”

“Professor… Have you ever have any doubt? Although Eco is a dragon… her appearance is of a girl’s.”

“Do I have a choice? For what I am today… it is all thanks to Klaus-sama. Last time, when I was forced to carry out all types inhuman experiments, I strongly rejected them and pissed off the Zepharos Emperor. In the end… I was chased out from the capital city of Arkham. During that time, Klaus-sama became my savior and invited me to his private research center.” After saying that, Dr Hoffman gave a gentle cough.

“Anya-dono, what do you think that this ‘Yggdrasill’ was used for?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“I am not surprised. Even I had no idea about what this thing was initially. I only realized after reading Milgauss-dono’s written opinion.”

“What did Milgauss-sama write?”

“It was said that, a long time ago… when the ancient kingdom reached its prime, humans and dragons could even control life. On the first glance on this ‘Yggdrasill’, Milgauss-dono knew that this is a medical tool.”

“Medical…?”

“In contrary to the modern times, all the dragons in the ancient times could transform into a Maestro. But of course there were exceptions. This machine is used for dragons who couldn’t transform into the Maestro type… Basically, it was for dragons with a handicap.”

Anya finally understood Dr Hoffman’s hint.

“In another words, our plan is to use its function… To awaken Eco?”

“That’s right. We are going to compress the enormous magic of the Millennium into her body and force out her true self.”

“But…Why now? Tomorrow is the continental congress ‘Elysium’, to launch such a experiment at such an important time is to…?”

“This has no longer anything to do with me.”

Dr Hoffman’s answer is no longer that of a kind old man. He just answered coldly.

“I am only following Klaus-sama’s orders. Anya-dono, didn’t you too obey Milgauss-dono’s order to capture young dragon Eco?”

“That’s… true.”

Dr Hoffman’s words were like an ice blade that stabbed into Anya’s chest.

===Part 7===
It was seven in the evening.

The masquerade, that intends to bring all the people of different countries together, had started right on time.

The venue was located at the highest floor of Fontaine Palace.

Fontaine Palace, being famous for its plain design, had only this ballroom which had been designed grandly in the Chevron style.

At the dance floor in the middle of the ballroom, ladies and their partners were holding hands and dancing gracefully according to the music tempo. Around the dance floor were also bars, tables, chairs and sofas. A number of guests were chit chatting there.

Looking at those gentlemen and gentlewomen, hiding their faces behind those masks, gathered together... Ash secretly felt that this is not a place where he belongs to.

Ash avoided the crowd nimbly and headed towards Silvia and said:

“Princess was already used to this kind of ball right?”

“You are wrong. A citizen of the Knights should be focusing on plainness… It is not our wish to organize such a noisy party… Apart from that, could you not address me as ‘Princess’?”

“Why?”

Ash didn’t know how to react to this. Silvia suddenly stood still. She was showing an unsatisfied look on her face. Because her mask had covered the area around her eyes, Ash could only judge her expression through her lips.

“What did you think this mask is for? If you kept on saying ‘Princess’, everyone will know who I am.”

“Ahh… You are right.”

“Tsk, Can’t you use some of your brains?”

“So what should I address you as?”

“Err…!”

Silvia was silenced by the unexpected question. Her face turned red in a blink of an eye.

After a few seconds, Silvia spoke:

“…You can call me Sylvie.”

The Silvia right in front of him is so very attractive it made him want to give her a hug.

“Then…”

Ash gulped.

''-Sylvie.''

His heart was jumping nonstop. Just like resonating to Ash feelings, Silvia lowered her head and acted shyly as if to prevent her heartbeat from being heard.

Ash made up his mind and spread open his dry lips.

“Silv- Uwaa!”

At this moment, Ash with a ‘Don!’ was pushed aside by someone and fell down. Before he could react, Silvia was surrounded by three men.

“My beautiful ojou-san<ref>A way to address a girl from a high family status.</ref>. Could I have the honour for you to be my dance partner?”

“Although your face is covered, the classy air around you couldn’t be hidden from my eyes!”

“Hold on! I was here first!”

Ash was dumbstruck. Even though those men have their masks on, but judging from their actions, they are not someone simple. These men should have noticed the different air around Silvia.

“Hold on… I am a little troubled by all of you inviting me suddenly…”

If it was the usual Silvia, she will tell them off mercilessly. But, right now, she is just a girl that had little experience in this world.

''-Even though she was always what you saw, actually, she is very timid and afraid of strangers''

Ash remembered what Cosette had said. She is worthy to be Silvia’s maid for her to notice all the details.

After Ash fell down, there were still men approaching her. The number of men surrounding her had increased from three to five.

Now it is ten. The voices that were inviting Silvia to be their dance partner were getting louder.

The guests around started to notice the noise and looked at them curiously.

“About that… I don’t feel like doing it now…”

Just like ants surrounding sugars, the numbers of men surrounding were still growing.

Facing all the passionate men, Silvia was being overwhelmed.

“Hey, Ash!”

But she suddenly shouted Ash’s name as if she wants Ash to come to her help.

After he made his mental preparations, Ash dragged Silvia through the walls of men.

There were sounds of disapproving from their surroundings.

“Hey, where’re your manners!”

“Couldn’t you take your turn!”

“Even though this is a masquerade, you must keep up with your manners!”

''"You are the ones who don’t have any manners…"'' Ash grumbled in his heart and kept on squeezing forward.

These weak nobles couldn’t even make a stand when they were pushed aside by Ash and they can only make way. They are at most nobles who were raised while being sheltered and protected. Naturally, they are no match to Ash and Sylvia who undergo strict training at the dragon riding academy in terms of strength.

“Waa!”

A waiter in black immediately made way to protect the expensive wine glass upon seeing Ash rushing right into him.

In a few moments, they are no longer surrounded and their field of vision widens. At the same time, the music had become louder.

“Ehh…?”

Ash stopped.

A group of people were holding hands dancing in pairs. Only then had Ash discovered they had inadvertently run out onto the dance floor.

The numerous amount of evening dresses made the scenery appear as if hundreds of flowers were blossoming at the same time.

Every time the ladies in the dance floor twirled their bodies, their long skirts turned into a giant roses.

“W-We should retreat! Princess!”

“Didn’t I told you not to call me Princess!”

“This is not a time to be arguing about those things!”

For the two to be standing in the dance floor while holding hands while arguing... Suddenly there were applauses from their surroundings.

“Wh-What happened?”

From the looks of it, they definitely want to give courage for the two to dance. It was probably Silvia's classy aura emanating from her that caught their attentions. Ash was just a side character.

“What should we do now, Princess?”

Ash was troubled and turned around to look at Silvia. Seeing Ash being embarrassed, Silvia laughs.

“Wh… What are you laughing about, Princess?”

“Nothing. Right now, we can only return the favor of the guests.”

“Ehh…?”

In opposite of what just happened, Silvia now took the initiative to hold Ash’s hands.

“Wait! I know nothing about dancing!”

“You must have learned the basics of a ballroom dance in the physical education class before, no?”

“I-I guess so…”

“Alright, everyone is looking. I will take the lead, you just have to follow.”

“Okay… I will give it a try.”

Ash imitates the guests’ actions and held Silvia’s waist with a hand. Her waist is just as thin as a doll.

Following along with the light waltz Silvia and Ash together started to move. As they began the dance, the distance between them is so near, they can feel each other’s breath. This makes Ash’s head spin. Although there were a few time where he nearly tripped over Silvia’s feet, she was not bothered by it and even covers for Ash.
[[Image:SnRK V04 167.jpg|thumb|As they began the dance, the distance between them is so near, they can feel each other’s breath.]]

Not long later, the other dancers around them, the beat of the music and the surrounding ballroom had all disappeared from Ash's thoughts.

Starting from the breath from her lips that had shiny gloss on them, the warm feeling from a tiny hand in his palm, the soft sensation he feels when their bodies occasionally bump with each other, to the rosy perfume smell...

While dancing, ash felt like he is going to faint.

As if to drag him back to reality, Silvia grumbled to Ash.

“Anyway, it was your entire fault for not positioning yourself properly.”

“…What do you meant?”

Ash asked while accidentally stepping on Silvia’s feet. Ash totally didn't get what she was saying.

“For the start when we entered this ballroom, you kept on following me from behind? No matter how I think of it, others would only see you as my follower. That's why those guys tried to approach me...”

Ash gave a wry smile.

Even at such a time as this, Silvia would only think of lecturing him. Although it fits her style well, what comes next gave ash a great big shock.

“B-But… You looked cool… Err… When you were running while holding my hand.”

“Princess…?”

“N-Nothing! Forget it!”

Silvia stopped talking immediately and focused her mind on the dance.

===Part 8===
After dancing, Ash brought Silvia to a corner of the ballroom.

Ash wished to relax for a moment from the eyes of others. He passed a cup of drink that he received from a waiter to Silvia.

“Thank you.” Said Silvia with a blushing face and she then took a sip from the cup.

Even though the ballroom dance looks graceful from afar, after trying it he finds that it actually requires a lot of energy. Ash thought.

Ash took up another cup and drank from it. The liquid in the cup was a lemon juice that tasted a little sweet and sour. He can feel that the juice was being absorbed by his exercised body.

''Anyway, shouldn’t there be any news yet from Cosette?''... Ash wonders. It had been almost an hour since he saw Cosette.

“-Excuse me, may I have a word with you?”

There was a sudden voice coming from behind that brought Ash back to his sense and he turned around-

“You…!”

Upon seeing the person, Ash lost his composure.

He hid Silvia behind him and glared at the person.

“…Have you any business to do with us?”

After Ash asked coldly, that person just replied with a smile.

“Hmm. It seems like I have become a nuisance.”

He is the young noble that they met not long before. If Silvia’s prediction was right, he is Klaus, Baron for the Vandenhaar borders. Milgauss, like a shadow, was following from behind.

Even though their earlier meeting had nearly turned into a fight, Klaus still tried to greet them on purpose. There should be a limit of how much an airhead he could be.

Klaus ignored Ash and looked at Silvia. Then he gracefully held out his hand to her.

“Your dance is excellent. I would like to know that if I had the honour to dance with you?”

“Are you kidding! What are you trying to pu-”

“Ash! Hold on!”

Silvia unexpectedly stopped Ash. After she indirectly rejected Klaus offer, she looked at Milgauss.

“If this man become my dance partner, I would allow it.”

“Haha! Who would have thought that I would be rejected while this follower is asked instead… You have quite some good eyes there.”

Not only that her actions didn’t anger Klaus, he even smiled. Silvia's words should have shattered his pride but it was like he was not even bothered by it. He looked like a proud older brother whose younger brother is admired.

“Since the lady had proposed––”

Klaus looked at Milgauss while smiling.

Milgauss remained silent. He looked as if he had merged with the mask which bears no expression. Seeing that Milgauss had not yet replied, Klaus shrugged his shoulders and said:

“Kuku. You are not allowed to decline. Don’t forget that right now you are one of my followers.”

===Part 9===
Milgauss was dancing with Silvia while holding on to each other’s hands.

It is better to describe this as a beautiful show rather than a ballroom dance.

In contrast to the attractive Silvia, Milgauss hair was still with the red and white mix colour. Although he gave out a dangerous feeling, it is undeniable that the masquerade provides a cover for him.

Ballroom dancing is just a general statement. In truth, Ash knew that this dance had many elaborations that were affected by the differences in each country's culture and style.

Right now, the particular style of Milgauss and Silvia's dance is undoubtedly the traditional dance of the Lautreamont Knight Country.

Ash was so focused in their dance that he had forgotten about the previous hatred.

But Ash was not the only one who was amazed.

Without knowing, everyone was entranced by Milgauss and Silvia’s dance.

Right now, the only people on the floor dancing were the two of them.

They are occupying the whole wide space. Just like blessing them, the orchestra, coming into their own, began slowly building to a climax in the music.

Silvia was dancing swiftly yet elegantly, closely followed by the swaying movement of her evening dress.

Facing Silvia, Milgauss was leading the dance.

They looked like a combination of light and shadow, yet their dance is perfect.

“Wow… This is my first time seeing such a great dance.” Klaus, in a low voice, spoke with admiration.

Klaus was admiring the dance while standing beside Ash.

===Part 10===
The dance of the two people ended silently like a setting sun.

Milgauss remained silent the whole time. He returned Silvia to Ash just like returning a book and walked off silently.

“Certainly his indifferent attitude gives me some trouble.”

Klaus gave a mysterious smile and disappeared into the crowd while he ran after Milgauss.

Ash inspected Silvia’s face carefully.

“Have you found any clue? Could Milgauss true identity be…”

“No… I can’t be sure. Because I was very young the last time I saw Anii-ue… But, Milgauss' dance has definitely originated from the Lautreamont Knight Country. I am sure that he has a long history with the Knight Country.”

Silvia murmured.

“-Ash-sama.”

At this moment, someone whispered into Ash’s ears.

“Cosette!”

Ash turned around. Cosette was there with a straight and serious face and said:

“The maids who head the search in the ancient palace have found Prim Onee-chan.”

"Yggdrasill ~A.S.B.1365.7~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 8|Chapter 8]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 6

2015-08-22T17:24:20Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 6 - Ancient palace's abandoned garden */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 6 - Ancient palace's abandoned garden==
===Part 1===
“Uu~n…”

Ash woke up, after touching something that felt soft and comfortable.

He felt as if he'd been sleeping for quite a long time.

There was a ticking sound coming from beside his pillow. He stretched his hand to search for the source and touched something cold.

It was the silver watch that Oswald awarded to him last night.

''-The Proof of a Dragner.''

For all the citizens of the Knight Country, everyone dreams of getting their hands on this silver watch. Ash flipped open the cover and took a glance.

The outer design was made so that the inner structure could be seen. The precise movement of the quaint yet complicated gear mechanisms, regulating each and every second, would make people stare at it in awe.

The position that the hands pointed to was twelve sharp.

“Is it already noon…”

This energetic feeling that he had after waking up might as well be the first time in his whole life.

Also what is this fruity smell? This refreshing smell had some sweetness in it and it felt like a smell that teenage girls would like.

The main point is, this bolster is very good. Not only that it is soft, it also felt warm. It also could change its shape according to Ash’s will. Just as expected of a bedding set prepared in Fontain City…

''-Stop, hold on! I remember very well that no bolster was prepared.''

When he found out in surprise that his memories contradicted with reality, Ash immediately rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“Sss… Sss…”

Prim, who was only in her underwear, was soundly sleeping right next to Ash.

The thing that Ash thought was a bolster was actually Prim’s soft body! Just like a child embracing its mother, Ash had his face sunk deep into the valley.

Ash only now realized what the extremely soft object was.

“Uwaaaaa! W-Why is Prim-san sleeping here!”

Ash jumped up in shock.

Even while someone was shouting beside her, Prim was still sleeping soundly.

“Hey… What is this ruckus about?”

There was a sound of disparagement coming from the bed beside his. It was Eco. She sat up while rubbing her sleepy eyes then she stared at Ash angrily.

For a moment, Eco’s expression froze.

“Hey… What’s the big idea? Why is Prim sleeping on your bed?”

“Please calm down, Eco! I was also wondering why!”

“Then… how are you going to explain the maid attire that is scattered all over the floor.”

Following Eco’s sight, indeed the floor was full of Prim’s maid attire.

“Hmm… I see.”

There was a black killing intent surrounding Eco and sounds like “Gggggggg” could somehow be heard.

“Hey… I had told you a few times, no? You are not my master; 'I' am the master! But you take the opportunity of your master sleeping… To lure a maid into your bed… and did things like this and that to her… No?”

Eco was still just as naïve as the time she was born, but in the last few months she had learned quite a number of things about humans. The dragons have stores of knowledge that had been passed down since ancient times–– The Dragonweiss. Eco can obtain any knowledge if she searched using it.

But Eco had obviously misunderstood.

“S-Stop! That’s not it! I did nothing! It is the truth!”

“The truth is right in front of my eyes, who would believe anything you say!”

At the same time as Eco was ticking down to explode, someone slammed the door open.

“Ash! Are you alright! I thought that I heard something weird…"

It was Silvia who banged into the room and following behind her was Cosette. They had probably heard Ash’s voice in the corridor and came to make sure.

“Hey, Ash… Why is Prim… sleeping on your bed… in only her underwear?”

Once she found out about Prim, Silvia made the same frightening expression as Eco.

The familiar lines could be heard once again.

“A knight must not commit fornication before marriage!”

Silvia was jinxing when she approached Ash with steady footsteps.

“I swear that… I’ll never forgive you!”

To synchronize with Silvia’s footsteps, Eco leaped from her bed towards Ash.

''Ahh... Stop. If you continue following this pattern there will be…''

It will be useless even if he tries to protest. Ash could only leave the rest to fate.

“I’m gonna trample you!”

“This is the Lautreamont’s family rules!”

===Part 2===
“S~sorry! It is my fault… I had mistaken the rooms and also slept on Ash-sama’s bed. I’m really sorry!”

Prim, who had finally woken up, cleared up the misunderstandings as she explained in tears.

“By the way… I wanted to inform you something about tonight’s dress code."

Cosette gently spoke as if to end the quietness:

“Tonight? Aah… The Masquerade ?”

Cosette nodded after Ash asked.

“That’s right. If it is alright, I hope that you will allow Eco to try on some evening dresses.”

“Would you also lend me some cute evening dresses this time?” Upon hearing Cosette, Eco became excited.

Right now her eyes were glittering and had totally forgotten about her anger.

“Ufufu. I have prepared some of the best evening dresses, that suit you, for this ball. But…”

“But…”

“I’m going to be busy with princess’s dressing today so the person who will assist Eco will be––“

Cosette showed a bitter smile and glanced at Prim.

“Will be in Prim’s hands.”

Eco was shocked by what she had said and immediately lost her temper.

“Hold on! This clumsy maid will be in charge of my dressing? Are you kidding me!”

“Uuuuugh” Prim, after she heard Eco’s heartless critiques, gave a deep sigh while pressing her hand against her chest.

Upon seeing that, Cosette placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled.

“Please rest assured. Although onee-chan is always clumsy, good at destroying things, frequently enters the wrong room, her brains are not that bright and also a profound lack of energy just like an human being dragged along by her breasts, but…”

“Please stop! Cosette-san! Prim-san is nearly in tears!” Ash immediately reminded her.

Cosette was still mumbling something like ''‘Ara ara, oh no’'' and immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

“H-How can you… So Onee-chan is such a person in your eyes...”

Prim, who had been crying, looked at the floor and sat down without any spirit. She could be seen mumbling with tears in her eyes with something like: ''‘Since I'm just a useless girl…’''.

“Ufufu. You should have listened until the end before taking any action, onee-chan. For a useless sister like you, you are better at picking beautiful things than me.”

“That’s absolutely correct!”

Upon being praised, just like a corpse being reborn, Prim rose up from the ground.

“Is it true…?”

Eco didn’t even try to hide her suspiciousness and glanced at Prim.

Prim, who received motivation from Cosette, was no longer in her timid self. She shook her busty chest and made the declaration.

“You need not worry about anything. I will take care of everything. I swear that I will find Eco an evening dress that suits her the best!”

===Part 3===
After lunch, Eco was dragged off to the changing room by Prim. Ash, who had nothing to do, was lazily lying on the bed.

“Guys can relax at times like this.”

Ash had decided to attend the ball using the suit that he wore yesterday when he had dinner with Oswald. The suit was hanging by the wall right now.

In conclusion, guys just need to choose a black suit to attend but it is different for a girl.

''-Knock Knock…''

Upon hearing the door knocks, Ash jumped up from the bed.

It is impossible for Eco and Prim to return this early.

“Who is it…?”

Ash was a little nervous when he couldn’t figure out who was knocking.

“Please wait for a moment!”

After informing the person on the other side of the door, Ash covered his naked left arm with bandages. To him, this could be considered a normal routine, so he only spent less than thirty seconds to complete the bandages.

There were amazing symbols that looked like several poisonous black snakes branded on his left arm.

That is the proof of Ash’s contract with the dragons––his ‘Seikoku’.

Normally, the size of a ‘seikoku’ will never be larger than the size of a palm but only Ash’s ‘Seikoku’ was so overly large. Because it looked like a bad omen, Ash had always kept it hidden.

Ash, who had already dealt with the bandages, slowly open the door.

Fragrance of roses slowly entered the room.

“Princess!”

“W-Why were you startled?”

That’s right, Silvia was standing at the doorway with a poker face. Her white blouse paired with a blue skirt- It is a fresh sight which can be rarely seen at the academy.

“Err… Can you spare me some of your time, I just wanted to have a talk.”

“Alright…”

Ash invited Silvia to enter his room after having a look out in the corridor. Luckily there isn’t a single soul in the corridor. Ash gave a sigh of relieve and quickly closes the door. ''If this scenario was seen by someone from the palace…'' Ash felt that his life was threatened just by thinking about it.

“…”

After Silvia looked around in the room, choosing––out of all places––to sit on the bed.

''-W-Why must you sit at there…! Why not on the sofa…!''

“Anything wrong? Why don’t you have a seat too?”

Upon saying this, Silvia tapped at the place beside her.

Ash gave a visible gulp while swallowing his saliva and sat beside Silvia.

“…”

Even when she came here with some intentions, Silvia’s mouth still remains shut.

“That’s it. Don’t you need to put on your evening dress?”

Ash, who can no longer bear with the silence, asked.

Silvia answered softly with her poker face:

Basically, I have already decided what to wear. But… there were some parts that were too tight. So it was brought to the tailor to have adjustments done.

“But you don’t look like you have grown fatter?”

Silvia immediately blushed.

“I’m talking about my chest! My breasts have grown since last year… Look at what you had made me say!”

“S-Sorry!”

The moment Silvia straightened her body; her beautifully shaped breasts were bouncing up and down. Ash immediately averted his eyes.

“Since it was brought to the tailor, don’t you need to wait beside?”

“The measurement has already been taken. So before the tailor is done adjusting, there is nothing that I can do.”

At this moment, Silvia was looking downwards embarrassingly, and spoke after a few seconds of making up her mind:

“Err… I want to say that, since both of us are free, we could have a little chat. O-Of course that if you feel that I am a bother, then I will take my leave…”

Ash gave a wry smile. When he saw Silvia being nervous, Ash on the other hand had calmed down.

“Nope, I am free right now. Eco and Prim aren't in and when I think about the upcoming masquerade… I don’t feel like taking a tour in the town.

“Is it so… Great.”

Silvia looked spiritless. She was no longer her usual energetic self. She looked as if she wanted to say something important but she didn’t know how to convey it. So Ash tried to give her a push.

“If you are worried about something, I will be glad to hear it out. I think that a Princess, who was born in the Royal Knight’s Family, will carry a larger burden compared to a peasant like me. So… I don’t know how much I am able to help you but I am ready to hear out what you want to say."

Silvia lifted her head and looked at Ash with her clear blue eyes. Maybe he was too sensitive towards her expression, he thought that she somehow became relieved

“I see. So it means that you are willing to listen to my troubles… No?”

===Part 4===
“Haa… This too is still lacking.”

Eco was facing some trouble in the changing room on the second floor. Because she had been searching for some time and she still couldn’t find a dress that will make her say ‘This is the one’.

“Do you like this?”

Prim was getting nervous as she rubbed off the sweat on her forehead.

“Everyone will dress themselves up to their best in a ball, no? As a noble dragon girl, how could I lose to a stupid and ignorant human. Especially that Silvia!”

Eco declared while crossing her arms in front of chest.

“Or do you think that, I, have no chance of winning against Silvia?”

“I-I daren’t say so! The thing is… I am curious regarding why are you always trying your best to compete against Silvia? Could it be… it is because of Ash-sama?”

Eco immediately blushed.

“W-W… What are you talking about! It has nothing to do with him!”

Prim bend her neck to a side and continued to stare at Eco.

“Suspicious!”

“Nothing suspicious!”

“But the relationship between Ash-sama and Silvia-sama is not something to joke about. I was shocked during yesterday’s dinner. Because it was the first time I saw Silvia-sama seem to have a close relationship with a guy when talking to him.”

“Urgh…”

After Prim finished talking, Eco felt insecure. That's right, Ash and Silvia's friendship had been getting better in recent days.

''-To leave me, as the owner, on the sidelines, to have an affair with some female animals? What is this! Why don’t I just squash him flat today!''

''No, Ash is the true owner.''

Basically, Eco knew this. Even so, because of her pride, she refused to admit it.

''Is Ash fed up with my attitude? So he rather chooses to mix with some female animals?''

''Apart from Silvia, there is Rebecca, Jessica and Lucca to name a few… There seem to be many females with great feminine charm around Ash.''

''Recently, the waitress in the student’s restaurant––The female animal who is called Anya was also a little suspicious. She kept on asking things about Ash. She probably is also interested in Ash…''

“Eco-chan, do you hate Princess?”

The sudden question brought Eco back to her sense.

“I don’t hate her… During the Selective Training Camp, she was generous enough for allowing me to ride on Lancelot. But her breasts made me mad!”

Prim smiled bitterly and sighed with a heavy tone:

“Eco-chan, you must be suffering a lot.”

“…Suffer what?”

Eco was startled.

After Prim paused for a moment, she said:

“Because… Ash-sama is a human and you are a dragon. One day in the future, Ash-sama will get married with a human girl and have children together- Aah, Eco-chan!”

Before Prim could manage to finish her sentence, Eco suddenly ran through the door to the corridor.

“Eco-chan! Please stop! I-I … Did I say something bad!?”

Prim was chasing behind her but Eco kept on running forward without even turning her head back.

''This is frustrating!''

Eco didn’t understand why she was this frustrated.

But her frustration and anger had urged her to keep on running.

She was not angry about Prim. Eco knew well that Prim said that without any bad intention.

Ash and Eco are bound together by the contract. They shared their life and death together. Eco had always believed that there is no stronger bond than this and thus she was assured of their relationship.

So she had never thought of Ash being taken away by someone.

''But- Ash is a human and Eco is a dragon.''

''Just in case what Prim stated was true…''

''If Ash fell in love and decide to settle down…''

''Then what am I to him?''

“Uuuu… ''*Hick*''”

Eco was running aimlessly in tears.

“Tsk… I already knew the answer… That guy is the real owner-”

''That’s right… In the far future I will only be treated as a pet dragon.''

As a pet, she could only wish for Ash’s happiness from the side. She will pass her days by eating when she is hungry and shake her tail when she has nothing to do just like a tamed beast…

“Urgg… That kind of life is just too sad....”

That is not the kind of love Eco wants from Ash.

Her chest felt like it was being bound tightly. It is painful. Just too painful.

With her head filled with mixed emotions, Eco was running wildly. She ran down the stairs and passed through the hall towards the entrance.

Since the ball is going to be held, the security is tighter. The guards immediately tried to stop her.

“You there! Stop!”

When her wrist was being held, Eco angrily showed her teeth. After struggling the guards were knocked away like dried leaves. One by one the guards were knocked off by Eco.

No matter how strong the soldiers are, when up against Eco, they were just like puppets.

“Uuu…”

But, this incident made Eco realize more that she is born a dragon. Just by thinking that human guys didn’t like abnormally strong girls, more of her tears flowed out.

Eventually she made it through the heavily guarded entranceway, and all at once Eco was outside of the palace.

“Hold on! Eco-chan!”

It seems that the clumsy Prim was still chasing her nonstop.

Eco was already confused about the reason that made her run. But she didn’t want Prim to see her crying face.

Just by looking at the sky she felt depressed.

The clear sky a few moments ago had suddenly filled with dark clouds as if it is going to rain anytime. The roaring of thunder could somehow be heard from afar.

Under a sky filled with ominous dark clouds Eco ran and ran without even looking back once.

Suddenly, she tripped over something.

“-Kyaa!”

Because of her strong momentum, Eco was sent flying head first. The moment she landed on the ground, her palms hurt like they were on fire.

“Darn!”

One of her mule<ref>a womens foot wear. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_(shoe)‎</ref> had dropped off and was lying on her ground with its bottom facing upwards just like the current Eco.

“Where am I…?”

Eco was looking at her surroundings.

Even though the area was still within the palace gardens, it was not well taken care of. It was full of weeds and not a single flower can be seen.

It can be called an abandoned garden.

There was an old double-storied building that looked like it is going to crumble anytime right in front of her. It is no different from a ruin. There was a stone tablet beside the entrance. It is obvious that ruin is an ancient palace.

She had never thought that there was such a lonely place behind the grand palace.

“It hurts…!”

The pain was coming from her palm. There was also blood on her right knee.

But Eco was sad because her favorite clothes were being dirtied and even now they were filled with mud.

This was a dress bought by Ash in Ansarivan for the trip a few days before their departure.

Eco loves the pale blue colour of this dress and the ribbon at the chest.

But now it was full of mud…

Just at that moment-

''‘Click…’'' the entrance door of the ancient palace was opened followed by the sound of an old mechanism running.

A group of five people appeared from the ancient palace.

Judging from their attire, they are just the palace servants. But right away Eco knew something was wrong. Those people looked just like the palace servants but seeing their hunter liked eyes and body movements… She knows that they are not some small fry.

Eco immediately lays low hiding within bushes as tall as her.

The leader of the group looked like a girl in a maid attire. It is the same palace designed maid attire that Cosette and Prim wear.

No, although they were well imitated, Eco had seen through them.

That maid attire must be a fake. Not only did the cloth they used lack glossiness, some of the details in the attire are also different from the real thing.

Then a familiar face of the girl startled Eco.

“Why is that girl… Here?!”

''Isn’t she called Anya… the one working at the student restaurant ‘La Tene’.''

''Why would a waitress pretend to be a maid and walk around in Fountain City?''

Eco was totally confused.

Basically, Eco knew her. But right now, her instinct told her not to call out to Anya.

The Anya right in front is not the kind Anya in the restaurant. Her eyes right now are that of a warrior.

The guys beside Anya who were acting polite towards her also seemed weird.

Out of all times–– At this moment, Prim’s voice can be heard all over the abandoned garden.

“Eco-chan! Where are you?”

At that instant, at lightning speed, Anya and the others started their operations. What was most frightening is that she had unsheathed a dagger. The rest of the guys also followed her by pulling out theirs.

Right now, Eco knew she was right about Anya being the ''‘enemy’''. She immediately stood up and shouted to Prim:

“Don’t come here! Run, quick!”

===Part 5===
Not long before, the special force led by Anya had successfully infiltrated Fontaine City through a dark underground secret passage.

When she took a peek after climbing up the stairs from the passage, she realized that the exit is at the ruins of the ancient palace. She found out that the fire place in the guest-room was also connected to the secret passage.

The information about the underground passage was given by Milgauss. ''How did Milgauss get to know about the existence of this underground passage?'' Once again, Anya was bothered by this question.

The group of people had removed their battle gear. Anya had changed into her maid attire and the rest had changed into their manservant wear. All these imitations were supplied by Klaus.

Anya led her four underlings out of the ancient palace. The sun could not be seen and the grey sky made it seem like it was going to rain anytime soon.

''We must infiltrate the palace immediately…'' Anya tried to build up her spirit.

The surroundings of the old building was an abandoned garden. No matter how tight the security is at the front, they will never guess that an enemy would appear from such a place. There isn’t even a single guard here.

The next objective is to find Eco in the palace, lead her out to a quite place, kidnap and take her back to Beowolf. Only then is her mission complete.

Along the way in the abandoned garden, Anya touched her pistol hidden in her cloths. The bullets were filled with strong tranquilizers.

The special weapon was provided by Milgauss. Even though it is a tranquilizer... it will still be a lie if she says she will not hesitate to shoot a girl like Eco.

“Chief, anything wrong?”

Anya came back to her senses after being questioned by an underling.

“…Nothing.”

That’s it, she mustn’t forget that she is leading a team right now. As a chief of the Tantalos tribe, she is also the leader of the special force at the same time. If she was not focused on her mission, her whole team will be in danger… After some thought, she made up her mind.

Right at this moment.

“Eco-chan! Where are you~?”

Suddenly, there was a panicking voice that was spoken slowly.

A maid appeared right in front. When she saw Anya and the rest, she became confused.

Anya realized something. ''This maid shouted Eco’s name a few moments ago. So she must be one of Eco’s acquaintances…''

No matter what, she mustn’t let loose of this opportunity. As long as she captures this maid and interrogates her, she probably could save her trouble for doing land combing in search for Eco.

Anya signaled her underlings behind with her fingers and immediately unsheathed her dagger.

Under Anya’s directions, the four underlings immediately split up.

They intend to surround the maid.

“Don’t come here! Run, quick!”

The voice that suddenly came out of nowhere shocked Anya.

That cry sounds familiar.

“That’s young dragon Eco.”

Her underlings stopped their footsteps at the same time upon hearing Anya’s shout.

At the same time, there was a lightning strike and the sound of thunder. The sound of thunder that seemed far away a few moments ago was slowly but eminently approaching.

“All of you, go and capture Eco! I will deal with the maid!”

Under Anya’s order, the underlings had shifted their targets. All four of them attacked Eco at the same time.

Even though she is a dragon, she looked like a girl. It should be an easy job for four big burly Tantalos man. After Anya made the positive judgment, she attacked the maid.

“Huh? What is happening- Ouch!”

Anya punched the maid in her stomach. The maid lost her consciousness and dropped on the ground.

“Hmph, the citizens of the Knight Country are really weak.”

The same time Anya snubbed her nose, thunder roared and the drizzling rain turned into a down pour. The coldness of the rain doesn’t make the season feel like summer.

Anya, thinking that her four underlings should have kept Eco in control, turned her head to look.

“Wha…!”

Anya shivered when she saw the scene behind.

“…Tsk, this is why I hate stupid and ignorant humans.”

Not only Eco wasn’t captured, she was even standing in the middle of the garden in rage. Her hair is wet and messy from being dripped on by the rain but her red eyes were full of spirit.

Three of the special force members were already on the ground.

“Damn you brat…!”

The fourth member lifted his dagger and attacked Eco directly. Seeing that his companions were knocked out, he had lost his temper.

Suddenly Eco leaped. She flew up in front of him, before the dagger struck, and gave him a punch in the stomach.

''“*Cough*!”''

Even though it seems like a girl struggling to escape... For her underling was like being attacked by a bull and was easily knocked back. This scene is what someone can find in a story book.

''-Is that… The so called power of a dragon!?''

Anya shivered.

Even when her pure self made her look fragile, the truth is Eco's strength is unimaginable.

“If you don’t respect me… Then get ready to be trampled!”

The guy was lying on the ground weakly and full of mud. Eco stepped on his back without mercy.

“Ouuuu!”

After the last underling cried in pain, he lost consciousness.

After making sure that the guy had fainted, Eco stared at Anya angrily.

“Aren’t you Anya? Why do you pretend to be a waitress in the student restaurant?”

Anya remained silent. There was no need for her to answer. She silently put on her fighting posture.

“Is it… So I take that you are not going to tell me. Never mind, that’s not so important anyway.”

Eco immediately prepared her defence.

For a short moment, it looked like a dragon had appeared behind her body.

“I have never liked you since then. You seemed to be interested in Ash!”

Eco rushed towards Anya while splashing water all around.

Her wrist strength is very strong.

If she was hit, Anya would probably follow the footsteps of her four underlings.

''But-!''

“No matter how strong your strength is, there is no point if you can’t land a hit!”

Anya twisted her body to one side getting out of the way of Eco’s head-buttt.

“Urgh…”

Eco, who nearly fell because of her momentum, immediately turned around and faced Anya again. She had now changed her weapon into her fist.

Anya dodged her first punch by just a few millimeters.

''-Don!''

The wind pressure of the punch swept passed her face painfully. This straight punch looks as if it can cut through rain. It felt as if the wind pressure of the punch is strong enough to blow a human off his feet.

No wonder her four underlings were easily knocked out. But Anya had not yet broken a sweat. Her ability is greater than all the four guys who were still the top in the tribe.

“Damn… why can’t you just get knocked out!”

Eco angrily swung her fist again but in Anya’s eyes, she was no longer a frightening enemy.

“…Urgh!”

Eco, who through a miss, was tripped by the mud and lost her balance.

The afternoon thunderstorm had not yet stopped. Anya had long found out that the ground was slippery, but Eco, who is only a few months old, probably didn’t notice these details.

Seeing Eco’s defence is exposed, Anya takes the chance.

“Haa!”

She gave Eco a kick with all her might behind her neck.

Her foot had knocked in to Eco’s neck with water splashing everywhere.
[[Image:SnRK V04 137.jpg|thumb|After Anya took out the pistol, she pulled the trigger without a single hesitation.]]

If she was to be a normal human, Eco would be knocked out of conscious in just a second.

“Urgh… How dare you kick me!”

“It can’t be!”

Anya was shocked.

Eco nearly fell, but managed to stand still with only will power. She was staring at Anya with tears in her eyes.

Her face that was wet with the rain water is full of killing intent.

“I swear I’ll, I’ll… Trample you!”

Eco while showing her teeth rushed towards Anya. Not only did she have huge amount of strength she is also as hardy as a dragon. But Eco attacked aimlessly just like a trapped animal. If this fight continues... it probably won’t end before the night arrives.

Anya made a search in her cloths with her hand and felt something cold. If it is possible, she will never chose to use this thing, but she mustn’t waste any time anymore.

“…Please don’t think badly of me.”

After Anya took out and aimed the pistol, she pulled the trigger without a single hesitation.

===Part 6===
After Silvia finished her story, Ash was in a great shock.

Ash absolutely couldn’t believe what he heard. Milgauss is most probably Prince Julius––this was what Silvia had said.

Of course Ash knew that Julius was sentenced to death for committing a taboo. That can be said as the worst scandal in the long history of the Lautreamont family.

“But Prince Julius… Wasn’t he already sentenced to death?” Ash asked, still doubting the statement.

But Silvia continues on mumbling her explanation:

“The information about him being sentenced to death may be fake. Chichi–ue is that kind of a person… he would never kill his own son. The truth is, I am very happy that Anii-ue is alive. I also believe that he must have his own reason for killing Mordred. But… why is he cooperating with the Empire and bringing disasters to the Knight Country? This is the only part that doesn’t make sense. What should I do…”

Silvia pursed her lips and looked downwards without saying a word. Just by thinking about the burden and her troubles Ash felt that his head is starting to spin. But, seeing Silvia being troubled by her worries, Ash knew that he can no longer remain silent.

“Actually… I didn’t quite remember what my father looks like.”

“…?”

Silvia lifted her head and looked at Ash confusedly.

“Even though it is not right for me as a son to say so, but my father was an odd person… He disappeared after my sister’s birth. Somehow, my family talks less and less about him. As for why would my father leave us… I had been wondering about this for ages, but I can’t simply ask this question. One day… I finally asked my mother out of curiosity.”

“Did she tell you anything?”

“No, she didn’t even mention a single thing. But she promised me that she will tell me everything when I grow up. This is also the reason why I have never asked about it since.”

This is the first time Ash had the chance to talk about his family background, so he is a little shy. Still, he is happy that Silvia listened to him attentively.

“In the end… What I wanted to say is, your problem won’t be solved if you keep it all to your self. If you have the time to feel sad, why not directly ask the person involved. Isn’t that better?”

“If I could do it, I wouldn’t be facing all this trouble… But what you say is reasonable.”

Silvia had regained her happy expression.

“Thank you, Ash. With your encouragement, I feel that the burden has somehow lifted.”

Her cute-ish smile made Ash’s heart beat nonstop. Silvia’s impression within the academy was the ‘Graceful but unapproachable beautiful princess’. Who would have known that she can make such a smile.

In this instant, there was a bright light coming from the sky and the next second, the thunder was roaring.

The loud sound felt as if it had landed right beside them. Ash turned his gaze to look outside the window and found it to be raining heavily.

Then, he finally felt the smell of the rain.

“Kyaa!”

Just as expected, Silvia who was born timid immediately screamed. She was so frightened that she lost her sense and cuddled in Ash’s arms.

“Uwaa…!”

Ash was shocked and fell on the bed with Silvia hugging him.

Silvia was trembling and cuddled to Ash tightly. On her snow white face, there falls the shadows of her long eye lashes.

“…Princess?”

Even after Ash called out to her, Silvia still remained silent. She shut her eyes tightly and embraced Ash. Just like a child, she was trembling nonstop.

There won’t be much of a problem if it's only to this extent. But ash felt something soft that shouldn’t exist in this world. That is certainly not something that can be felt from a child. It is Silvia's breast which was pressing tightly against Ash’s body.
[[Image:SnRK V04 002-003.jpg|thumb|'' The lightning strikes for two, three times. Every time it strikes, Silvia trembled a little and tightens her hug… Both of them had remained in the same position for some time.'']]

The lightning strikes two, three times. Every time it strikes, Silvia trembled a little and tightens her hug.

…Both of them remained in the same position for some time.

“Are you alright, Princess?’

When the sounds of the thunder and the winds had stopped, Ash slowly asked. If Silvia kept on sticking to him, he felt like his heart is going to burst. So, Ash pretended to give Silvia a gentle push and sat up.

“Nn…”

Silvia was lying on the bed when she opened her eyes that were shut close for a long time. There were tears at the edge of her eyes which was probably from the tremendous fear that she had just been through.

“Wha…!”

Silvia who finally calmed down immediately blushed. She probably had realized the situation that she was in.

As a princess, she was lying on a bed defenceless while being looked at by Ash-

''-T-This is bad.''

Ash had made his mental preparation for the coming ‘fist of the Lautreamont Family Rules’.

Although he did nothing wrong, through his past experience, he was already used to this kind of ending. Basically, everything will end after that fist.

But, Silvia was still lying on the bed with her red face.

Ash felt that her eyelashes were shaking.

“Princess…?’

Ash looked carefully at Silvia.

In contrast to a ferocious Dragner, her limbs were thin and nicely shaped. The two lumps of meat at her chest were moving up and down following her breathing tempo…

In this instant, Ash felt that his mind was going to crack.

Silvia was not wearing a bra right now. The pink tips could somehow be seen underneath her blouse that was covered in sweat and was breaking down Ash’s mental reasoning ability.

''Why is Silvia not moving?''

''Why is she not in her usual angry self and try to hit me?''

''What if I try to touch her right now?''

''-N-No, I mustn’t! Princess right now is… Is worried about Prince Julius so she couldn’t think straight. For me to take advantage of others at such moment… I can never do this. Not even in a million years…''

''-Kon, kon.''

There was someone knocking the door.

Although it just a usual knock, but in this situation, the sound was piercing Ash’s ears.

“…Urgh!”

Silvia had probably thought the same thing. Just like the magic had disappeared, she jumped off from the bed.

“Sorry for intruding.”

The person outside entered before Ash replied.

It was Cosette.

“The evening dress has been altered. I am here to pick up Princess.”

The way Cosette speaks was unnatural and way too formal. She probably had seen through what had happened between Ash and Silvia.

“...Understood. I will head there right now.”

Silvia kept her calm and followed Cosette out of the room.

“Haa…”

Ash felt that he had lost his energy and fell on the bed.

If he had more courage, if Cosette didn’t intrude––

Silvia and He, who were on the bed would probably…

“Uwaa! What am I thinking about!”

Ash was rolling around on the bed.

He really wanted to get rid of this trouble. Too bad for him that the bed was full of Silvia’s smell, which caused him to get more and more jumpy.

He kept on recalling the rose fragrance, the glimmering golden hair and the soft peaks.

As he was rolling around, Ash saw the bed beside him.

Eco and Prim still haven’t returned from the changing room.

His worry suddenly disappeared.

“What is taking Eco so long?”

"Black Prelude ~A.S.B.1365.7~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 7|Chapter 7]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 5

2015-08-22T17:10:53Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 5 - Mordred's tombstone */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 5 - Mordred's tombstone==
===Part 1===
''- Stop it! Please stop…!''

Ansarivan, the academy city, was destroyed right in front of Silvia.

It was an act of utter destruction.

In St Durham square, a place for the public to rest, there is a huge –grey– beast the Necromancia attacked with a crazed like frevor.

For every step the Necromancia made the buildings collapsed fragilely like logs.

Silvia’s legs felt weak and slumped to the ground.

"Princess, please pull yourself together!"

Even when Ash was shouting by her side, Silvia was scared and did not respond.

''- Aaa..... a dream?''

Silvia was looking at the past events from up high. She felt ghostly.

''- How embarrassing for me to actually become paralyzed while sitting on the ground......''

Silvia high up in the air felt that ‘useless’ is the only word that can be used to describe herself.

How useless I am, no wonder Ash scolded me.

"What are you joking about...... what sort of princess are you! Which royal knight family are you from! If you really are an excellent royalist, then prove it to us!"

Ash lifted his right hand.

"Sorry but no offense!"

Just like what she remembered, Ash slapped Silvia in the face.

Thanks to that ruthless blow, Silvia manage to escape from the shackles of fear, and was determined to fight side by side with Ash.

Even though that incident had happened just a few months ago, it already felt like it had been years past.

She has a feeling that it's probably because she had lived her life to the fullest for the past few months. Furthermore, after the birth of Eco, there were many changes in her academy life that had happened.

''-Why is it so?''

Silvia suddenly felt something was not right.

From this perspective, when she was looking at the Necromancia, she felt something.

''-I recognize the Necromancia? How could......''

Logically speaking, this is the first time Silvia witnessed such a creepy monster.

In fact, she had never seen such a large, black haired dragon in her entire life.

However, Silvia now felt that the Necromancia looked very familiar.

''-Could it be!''

Silvia have an idea

Once she had figured it out, she was thinking that how could she be this slow.

''- Is it Mordred!?''

Mordred was brother Julius’s Pal, but was personally killed by Julius.

''- Yes! That face and actions...... indeed they look like Mordred's! I was too careless, how could I not realize it earlier!''

===Part 2===
The morning of the fifteenth day of the month of cancer.

“Mordred!”

I had finally discovered a crucial clue! Silvia, at the same time, jumped out from her bed.

“Er… I’m at…?”

Silvia did not feel quite right.

The scenery in front of her eyes was not the familiar ceilings of the Epona’s house.

After she looked around again, Silvia finally remembered....

"I had forgotten...."

…This is Silvia’s bedroom in Fontaine City. Silvia was lying down, on a bed with a covered top, and surrounded by luxurious curtains.

"Are you awake, Princess?" Cosette prompted.

Cosette, who was waiting in the room, slowly pulled back the bed curtains. Silvia felt relieved after she saw her gentle smile.

“Morning, Cosette.”

"Good morning, princess. Just now, I thought I heard you shouting a guy’s name.... Even when you have secretly promised yourself to Ash-sama, yet you are still thinking of another person. I felt contempt with princess’s unfaithful behavior."

Unfortunately, these few words from Cosette had disrupted Silvia’s calm mood.

"N-Nonsense! Mordred is a dragon's name!"

"Hehehe, just kidding, but you did not actually deny the sentence "secretly promised yourself to Ash-sama"."

Silvia’s cheeks suddenly became hot.

"It is nothing like that! It is because there were so many aspects for me to comment on, I had just forgotten about it!"

“Then I’ll try to believe that what you were saying was the truth. Hehehe.”

After Cosette purposely laughed, she pulled back the entire curtains of the bed. Then she walked towards the window and pulled back the curtains covering the windows.

The next moment… Glaring rays of morning sunlight flooded into the room.

Silvia, getting down from her bed, spoke behind Cosette:

"Hey, Cosette. Before breakfast, I would like to visit someplace first."

Cosette smiles while answering.

"It is my responsibility to take care of Princess. I will be happy to follow Princess even to both ends of earth.”

===Part 3===
Not many people can be seen early in the morning in the Fontaine city’s town center.

The shops also seem to be closed today. A empty street full of a light cooling breeze, suits this late spring season well.

Silvia put on the dragon riding hat to shade her eyes and she also wore her nondescript academy uniform.

By just seeing Silvia’s attire no one on the street should be able to figure out that she is the fourth princess. In direct contrast to that Cosette, following right behind her, who is wearing Royal maid attire and looked a lot more striking.

There are occasions where the watchmen will approached them for a safety check, but as long as Silvia lifts her hat to expose her face––

“Aren’t you Princess! I’m sorry for bothering you!”

Everyone without exception will apologize while bowing and then immediately buzz off.

Later, Silvia arrived at the mausoleum area at the west side of the city.

This is not a common mausoleum, but a special one that is used as a graveyard for the dragons.

There were two guards on duty at the entrance to the mausoleum.

“…?”

Silvia was confused.

There were never any guards in this area. There isn’t anything that’s worthy to be stolen by thieves in this mausoleum.

“Princess? Why would you come to this type of place?”

The two guards, reacting just same as the previous watchmen, allowed Silvia and Cosette to enter the mausoleum.

“Lets go, Cosette.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Silvia decisively stormed into the mausoleum.

It is said that Mordred’s ashes were placed in the underground of this mausoleum. Perhaps the reason Paladin Oswald did so was to bury the name Mordred along with its ashes.

After walking for some time down the stone stairs, Silvia arrived at her destination.

Unexpectedly, there were already visitors at Mordred’s tomb.

A woman in armour.

Who was accompanied by a thin and tall knight and...

A woman the height of a child.

There was also a basilisk standing behind the small sized woman. Even though a Basilisk is said to be of the same species as an Asia it looks quite a bit different. It is a beast with the appearance of a lizard.

If it is possible, Silvia wouldn’t want to meet with the three people and the beast. That’s because there’s always trouble whenever she meets them.

“Ane-ue! And also… Glenn-dono and Avdocha-dono!”

Upon hearing Silvia’s greeting, the three of them turned their heads back at the same time.

Veronica was the first to speak among the three.

“Aren’t you Silvia! Why do you come to this place?”

Veronica eyes were as cold as they used to be, like an eagle who found its prey. Even though Silvia trembled, she still replied calmly.

“I’m here because I remembered something. Ane-ue why are you here? Anyway… let alone Glenn-dono, why would Avdocha-dono also be here?”

“What! Are you not satisfied that we are together? Do you want me to tear your clothes into two again? Do you want to show that pair of cow like breasts in front of your ex-fiancé?..."

"''Ouch!''"

Veronica, without any warning, knocked Avdocha’s head with her Gauntlets on, which made her cry in pain with tears in her eyes.

That punch should hurt a lot… Silvia had tasted the pain from the pair of knuckles numerous times. Silvia pitied her anyway.

“Avdocha, when were you given the right to lecture my sister.”

“Uuh. You tyrant! My head is now swollen!”

The small lady, Avdocha Kiltzkaya, was called ‘Avdocha The Convict’ by the public but was really an ex-terrorist and now actually the leader of the Foreign Force in the service of Knight Country. Previously, during Veronica’s visit to Ansarivan, she had caused many troubles for Silvia.

“Yes, so you still have extra energy to talk nonsense.”

“Ouch! D-Don’t hit my head anymore or else I won’t be able to grow taller!”

“You are already passed twenty years-old and yet you are still thinking of growing taller? What a joke?”

“Don’t be mean!”

Even Avdocha can’t do anything when facing Veronica. Because she looks like a child, it appears like a kid being scolded for some pranks.

“Its been a while, Princess Silvia."

Glenn greeted and bowed in front of Silvia, without being bothered by Avdocha’s and Silvia’s argument. He is still the same beautiful guy that will make your eyes glitter.

Glenn was Julius’s best friend and also Silvia’s ex-fiancé. Even after their marriage had been canceled, but it's still embarrassing to meet like this.

“Glenn-dono, I’m happy to see you in the pink. But back to the topic, why are you here?”

“I’ll answer that question.”

The armour on her body made a clear loud sound when Veronica turned around. Just like she had lost interest in a toy, Avdocha was left by the side.

Veronica with a tone as heavy as her armour said:

“Actually, Mordred’s ashes were stolen.”

“When was it stolen?”

“We are not sure about the time. Anyway no one would expect that anyone would want to steal ashes. This mausoleum didn't even have guards before this. Maybe… Maybe They were stolen years ago and it's just that we did not realize it.”

“…Then how did you found out about it now?”

“Of course the biggest clue is due to the Willingham Mausoleum incident. The enemy is obviously using the ashes of the dragons as materials to make their weapons. That’s why I had given the order to check on every mausoleum that has a dragon tomb.”

“And the one who was in charge of the checking was the Foreign Force led by me.”

Veronica was not bothered by Avdocha, who seemed to want some sort of a reward, and shrugged her shoulders.

“…And the result is just like what you can see.”

“What do you mean?”

“The things are just like what I had expected. Many sets of dragon bones and ashes have been stolen from all over the country,”

“How could it be…”

Silvia was clenching her teeth.

The enemies’ movements were not just a step ahead, but two or three.

This type of cowardly technique must be from the Zepharos Empire. For it is they who understand that ‘Machines will never be able to win against the dragons’.

“There’s another thing, Silvia. I had heard about your heroic fight at the Willingham Mausoleum while riding on Lancelot. I’m proud of you.”

“Ee...”

For one moment, Silvia didn’t understand what Veronica was saying.

Only after a few moments later, she finally felt it from the bottom of her heart.

''That’s right... Veronica praised me.''

“Thank you anee-ue.”

After Silvia thanked her while smiling, Veronica’s face turned red and she turned it aside.
[[Image:SnRK V04 105.jpg|thumb|By the way… I have something to tell anee-ue.]]

“Hmph... don’t get overjoyed yet. You are now still a little chick and your priority is to strive towards an Ark-Dragner. Then we will remove that bastard Oswald from his throne.”

“A-Anee-ue...”

Silvia felt troubled.

Veronica totally hated her father, who acts like nothing but a commoner, to the extent where she will even call him ‘bastard’.

“By the way… I have something to tell anee-ue.”

Silvia showed a serious expression.

Perhaps that Veronica felt an abnormal air around Silvia, she silently nodded and allowed her to continue to speak.

“It is something related to anii-ue. A few days ago, I met a guy called Milgauss at Willingham Mausoleum. He is the Empire’s henchman.”

“I have a report regarding that man… so, what has he to do with Julius?”

“Please listen to me calmly. Even though this is just my intuition… I think that Milgauss is anii-ue.”

“Nonsense!”

The person who shouted loudly wasn't Veronica but the quiet Glenn who was standing behind her.

“Glenn-dono?”

“It’s impossible! That man is still kicking… and has become an active spy for the Empire… That’s absolutely outrageous!”

Silvia could understand how Glenn felt. Glenn and Julius were best friends all the time they were studying in Ansarivan.

“Generally speaking, what proof do you have Silvia-sama-”

“––Keep your cool Glenn––<ref>This is written in order form.</ref> The person who you are speaking to is my sister.”

Veronica was like a beast trainer, trying to tame a beast, when lecturing Glenn.

“I’m… Sorry.”

Even a person like Glenn knelled down and apologized on the spot like a beast being whipped.

“I still have something to report to anee-ue. You had just said that Mordred’s ashes were stolen… After some careful thought, the Necromancia that attacked Ansarivan looked a little like Mordred.”

Veronica was stunned upon hearing.

“…Silvia, you mustn't tell anyone about this. Even just the possibility that Julius is still living will have a great impact on the Knight family. Plus Mordred, who is now suspected to be the Necromancia, is another problem… This information should be kept confidential. Do you understand?”

“Yes… Anee-ue,”

Silvia immediately promised without a second thought.

===Part 4===
Silvia parted with Veronica and the rest at the entrance of the Mausoleum.

“We’ll now head back to town.” Silvia said to Cosette.

“Yes princess. We still have not yet decided what you are going to wear tonight.”

“For the masquerade…? Sad to say, but I’m not longing for it.”

Silvia sighed.

“Ara? This is a good chance to invite Ash-sama. Anyway, this is a masquerade. The difference between social statuses can be temporally cast aside. You just need to become immersed in the atmosphere… Then the two of you will be at the balcony alone after the dance. With the holy rays of silvery moon light as a romantic setting, both of you will kiss passionately while hugging each other tightly.”

“What nonsense are you mumbling about! You have been reading too much of those third grade novels.” <ref>Third grade is considered low grade (or third-class, whereas first-class is the highest) ''––and it usually means hentai''. For those who don’t know what hentai means… err… google it… (Actually, don't. Those who understand already know and those who don't are too young to know.) </ref>

Silvia’s face suddenly became as if it was on fire. After she scolded Cosette, she remembered the scenario during dinner time yesterday.

Oswald suspected that Ash and Silvia don’t have a simple relationship. Ash who was interrogated in the end swore that he will never touch even a single strand of Silvia’s hair.

''"Princess and I...... Are not in a relationship!"'' The words that Ash used to beg Oswald kept on repeating in Silvia’s mind.

''Paladin? He is just a useless guy! But Ash was so scared that he used ‘not in a relationship’ as a shield!''

Silvia was getting mad just thinking about it.

But what confuses her most are her own thoughts. She just heard the words ‘not in a relationship’ but why was she this mad about it.

“Arrgh! I can’t stand it! What’s wrong with me!”

Cosette, while looking at the troubled Silvia, smiles knowingly.

“Princess has also already begun the journey of youth!”

"Reunion ~A.S.B.1365.7~" is closed.
<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 4

2015-08-22T17:09:27Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 4 - Beowolf's conspiracy */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 4 - Beowolf's conspiracy==
===Part 1===
Anya, who also traveled to the Lautreamont capital city of Fontain, met with Milgauss as she had originally planned.

Since last month, they had not met for an extended time. However, today, Milgauss doesn’t seem to be quite right.

Although his true face is still covered with the same silver mask, he wrapped a dark cloak around his body even on this hot summer day.

Ignoring Anya’s questions he said. "..Come with me."

Milgauss then led her down numerous back alleyways. They kept hidden, with the use of an underground secret passage, sneaking pass Fontain city’s stronghold.

Along the way they were not bothered by any guards, even when it should be a period of martial law.

Anya was thinking while walking along the passage.

''- What connection does Milgauss have with the Knight Countries....? A mere peasant wouldn’t know the existence of this underground secret passage.....''

''In fact, let alone the public, there ain’t even a single guard here. Is this a passage used by the royals to seek refuge.....?'' Anya thought of this possibility.

''If it is so, why does Milgauss know the existence of such a route?''

"We are going to climb upwards."

After hearing Milgauss’s whisper, Anya cast aside all the distractions. There is a stone staircase in front of them.

Anya stared after she had reached the surface from the underground secret passage.

She is at an apron specifically for the use of landing and docking aviation ships.

The first ship that greets her eyes is the Zepharos mega airship–– Beowulf's Bow.

As for Chevron’s airship Crown Solas, Holy Espada Agency’s shrine ship Esperanza and Lautreamont’s airship Silvanus, are lined up together side by side at some distance away from Beowulf.

It is as if Beowulf had been isolated.

On the other hand, at the other end of the apron, Fontain city stands majestically in the night full of lights.

After Milgauss gave a glance at a castle, he silently headed towards Beowulf.

===Part 2===
Inside the Beowulf- Milgauss and Anya came to a room where it was labeled "war room" in the Empire’s language. After entering the room, a young noble stepped forward to greet them.

"Phew..... I had waited a long time for you, Milgauss."

The young guy’s hair is blonde and he had a pair of grey eyes. He is such a beautiful guy<ref>美男 binan, beautiful man, something you can usually see when reading Josei manga. </ref> that someone will mistake him for a chick.

At the same time, he can be seen as someone who practiced martial arts. Despite his slender body being wrapped in overly decorated clothing, his lean physique can still be seen.

''- This man is Klaus, Vandenhaar’s border’s baron....!''

She had once heard about this man's deeds before. Now, this being the first time she saw him, Anya gasped in his presence.

He is the head of the Viderhausen family and also the ruler of the Vandenhaar. At the same time, he is also the patron for Milgauss. Even though he was still a young man in his twenties, but he is now at the same level as an officer in the Empire’s army.

Not only that, this time, he is also preparing to attend as an agent for the Zepharos Emperor in the Continental Congress ‘Elysium’...

"Ah! My Milgauss! You really came!"...

Klaus placed his glass on his table, stood up and hugged Milgauss.

''- What....! T-Two men hugging together! Or...... is it normally used in the Empire as a greeting?''

Anya who stood by the door blushed.

"Well, this room is really...! ...filled with steel and greasy smells. Can you even imagine how I feel while I was waiting for you? What took you so long?"

"I was forced to, since the Continental Congress is around the corner. The security outside is very tight. I had to wait until nighttime to make my move."

"Hmm, you're also right."

After Klaus released Milgauss, he spoke while smiling.

“I’ll first hand your new left arm to you.”

Klaus pointed at the steel box on the table.

"This is the latest model sent from the Empire. Its strength is enough to even match a chariot."

"I’m really grateful for it."

After Milgauss thanked him, he placed his hand on the box.

A heavy metal sound can be heard when he opened the box.

Regardless of how you look at it, the object in the box is a 'human arm'.

“Hik…”

Anya almost screamed and she quickly covered her mouth. With a closer look, at the end of the arm, there is an electro-mechanical-like object.

''––Mechanical...... prosthesis?''

Klaus for the first time looked at Anya who was holding her breath.

"Are you the girl from the Tantalos tribe? I have heard about you."

"Y-Yes! I’m Anya, leader of the Tantalos tribe.”

Anya stood at her spot and nervously replied. After all, he is Milgauss’s patron and she shouldn’t be rude.

"Hmm. From the surprised reaction, about Milgauss’s left arm, it seems that you are still in the dark."

"Left arm ......?"

Anya was puzzled.

She happened to catch a glimpse of Milgauss throwing off his cloak on the floor from the corner of her eyes.

"...!"

Anya's eyes widened.

Milgauss’s left arm is without its lower half starting from his elbow.

The long empty sleeve was swinging. Anya then realized why Milgauss felt he had to cover his upper body with the cloak.

"It happened ten years before. A guy who had lost his name, status, fame, and his left arm strayed into our home territory. He, who had committed major taboo in his homeland, was cursed––"

"Cut the crap, Klaus."

Klaus’s story came to a halt when Milgauss scolded. Anya was a little disappointed. With just a little bit more, she might have found out more of Milgauss’s past.

"Oh, I’m asked to stop. It's a pity, right?"

“N-No… Nothing.”

Anya felt embarrassed. She felt that she cannot hide anything when being watched by Klaus.

"By the way, ojou-san, your muffler is really special, is that part of your folk costume?"

A sudden change of topic stunned Anya.

Regardless of what season Anya always has the muffler with her, as if it was part of her body. When she removed the muffler to disguise herself as a town girl or a waitress, the empty feeling around her neck made her felt insecure.

"Yes, in the mountains, there is a custom where different clans exchange their children to conclude a peace agreement. When I was given to another clan when I was a child, I already had this scarf.... In other words, this muffler is a proof of which clan I was born in."

"Hmm, I am always madly in love with beautiful things. Beauty can overcome anything, do you not think so? I kept Milgauss by my side just because of this reason."

"Err......"

Anya was dumbfounded. What is this person actually talking about?

"Ahh..... What is there to be dumbfounded of. Your muffler is very unique and really beautiful-"

"You have gone off topic Klaus, quickly take out the device."

Milgauss who had turned around and faced them had put on his prosthesis arm.

===Part 3===
Klaus led Milgauss and Anya to the armoury. Anya thought that would look like a warehouse. When the elevator doors opened, she was shocked.

The wide armoury was located at the back of the ship. It was even big enough to rival the city hall.

This place was supposed to be designed to park the combat-aviation-ship's armoured vehicles and also for storing ammunition. But there were no weapon-like objects that could be seen.

However, deep in the armoury, there was a machine that looks like an ‘infidel’s altar’.

“That is…”

After walking over, A streamlined-shaped container was fixed above Anya. It was about ten meters above the ground.

It looked like a single-seater aviation ship’s cockpit, but its exterior was beautifully decorated. Normal weapons simply cannot be compared with it.

However even though it had a god like beauty, there is still a dark feeling lurking from inside. When carefully observed, it seems more like a coffin and gave off a chilling feeling.

There were many cables hanging from the bottom of the capsule which most connected to a single mechanical device on the ground.

Looking at the whole picture, the huge device can even match with an adult dragon. The side of its body was studded with numerous large pieces of Bright Dragon Crystal.

''- This is a magic guided device....!''

At the same time Anya gasped, Klaus talked to her:

"Have you found out about it, ojou-san? This is the same type of device as with Milgauss’s ‘Tyrfing’."

When she heard the word ‘Tyrfing’ Anya was still wondering about it, but soon remembered... ‘Tyrfing’ should be the huge sword that Milgauss used when summoning the Necromancia.

Klaus walked to the side of the huge device.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

Right now there were a few researchers close the device as well as ten or so other technicians were working elsewhere in the otherwise empty armoury. The researchers were dressed in white robes, while the technicians were dressed in work clothes.

"It is rare for Klaus-sama to come personally..."

An old man who was thought to be the leader bowed respectfully.

"Yo, Dr. Hoffman. How is the progress?"

"As you can see, the assembly work is almost finished. We have now entered the final inspection stage. It is just that...... Since that device runs with the Millenium as a power source, you must be careful with it. Final inspection is bound to finish sometime during night."

Anya wondered if she heard it wrong. The Millennium–– a rare mineral which was formed when the body of a dead dragon was buried in the ground for a few thousand years. The vast majority of it was used as the fuel for Airships.

"After the inspection period ends, the experiments can be carried out tomorrow afternoon. Alternatively, if my lord can help prepare the experimental material, then...."

After listening to Dr. Hoffman’s report. Klaus revealed a satisfied smile.

"No problem, we will help prepare the experimental material. Please continue with the operations."

"Of course, Klaus-sama."

After Dr. Hoffman bowed again, he returned to the device.

Klaus again looked at the device with an attitude of reverence.

"It was a beauty unto the extent where it cannot be described... The ancient civilizations' skills were really amazing. It felt like it was far beyond the scope of a human’s capabilities. Hey, Milgauss, come here and have a look too."

Milgauss silently walked forward and stopped beside Klaus’s shoulder.

Klaus was in a trance.

"Magic guided device ‘Yggdrasil’.... I chose its name. Do you not think that this name suits it well?"

Contrary to Klaus, Milgauss answered coldly.

"The name doesn’t matter. The problem is whether it can be used or not."

"Hehe. That answer really suits your style. Frankly speaking, in the past, when this device was unearthed from ‘Xonotone Ark<ref>The ARK here is a ship not an armour</ref>’, no one knew its true purpose. When Beowulf’s engine was excavated, the empire’s nobles were all excited. But nobody was interested in ‘Yggdrasil’. Thanks to this, I bought it for a cheap price."

"How can those guys understand the true value of this device."

"Haha, you're quite ruthless. Anyway, I'm surprised by your knowledge! Because you had only read the limited information in the reports you still knew of ‘Yggdrasil's’ nature immidieatly. But I personally still doubt it. With this device.... can we really force young dragon Eco to be awakened?"

"––!"

Anya, who overheard Milgauss and Klaus’s conversation from behind, shuddered.

After listening to Klaus, Anya only understands the contents of her mission. In fact, Milgauss hadn’t even told her about her mission yet.

''––Is the prey, that is going to be put in the capsule.... young dragon Eco?'' Anya felt her spine freeze.

She remembered Eco’s big innocent smile, while eating meat in the students’ restaurant, which surfaced in her mind. At least, as far what Anya knows, Eco... is only a naive and gluttonous little girl.

Although her temper is bad, she is still a young dragon born only a few months ago. She was also welcomed, by a lot of the students, as a mascot of the student council.

It is difficult for her to link Eco and such a dark experimental device together!

''––Why is Milgauss-sama so persistent about young dragon Eco? He even makes use of the Continental Congress.... The value of the little dragon girl... Is it worth the risk to make this barbaric move?''

Casting aside Anya’s obvious distrust, Milgauss and Klaus continued to talk.

"You don’t have to bother with this so much, Klaus. You just need to have faith in me."

"Wow. What confidence."

"As long as you follow what I say, it is just a matter of time when you will gain control of the dragon’s power. Even the next Emperor's throne is at your fingertips."

''Next Emperor-'' These unexpected words tighten Anya’s facial muscles.

"I’ll be waiting for the day when your promise comes true, Milgauss. So then, Ojou-san.”

Anya was shocked by Klaus who suddenly turned his attention back to her. Klaus’s handsome face, just moments before, was now like a ghost.

"By hearing our conversation just now, you should know what your mission is ... Right?"

"Capture.... young dragon Eco?"

"Correct answer. Milgauss... you have a very good underling."

Despite being praised, Anya was not quite happy.

"The Melancholy of Anya ~A.S.S.1365.7~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 3

2015-08-22T17:07:06Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 3 - Paladin Oswald */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 3 - Paladin Oswald==
===Part 1===
Cosette led Eco and Ash to the dining room.

Ash is now wearing a formal suit. After they returned to the castle, Cosette forced him to change his clothing even after his protestations. The matching black suit, shirt, a silver tie, and she even produced a pair of polished shoes for him.

''"Hum, hum, hum~..."''

Eco on the other hand was dressed in a rose white dress, humming a song while walking, her entire body was covered with laces, flounces, gemstones and other matching accessories. Her hair was also combed in a mature style complimenting her dress. She now looked very much like a Princess.

But Eco had her attention placed on tonight’s menu and questioned Cosette about it on their way there.

"Hey, is there any delicious meat?"

"Of course, the highest quality frozen beef is waiting to be served."

"What you just mentioned...... is it a Chevron cow?"

The sound that Eco made by swallowing her saliva can be heard clearly by Ash.

"Not only it is a Chevron cow, but I also heard that it has a blood relationship certificate of a heifer."

"...... What is a heifer?"

"Tee Hee. It means it had the same soft and tender meat as Eco."

Once again, Cosette unmasked a playful smile and then pinched Eco’s upper arm. Eco quickly dodged aside and her whole face was already red.

"C-Could you be...... eying my flesh?"

"Well, what do you think? Hee hee......"

Ash smiled at the teasing argument. After a long walk, they finally came to an open space.

It seems to be a lounge with impressively high ceilings.

Cylindrical pillars were arranged along the walls. In the middle of the room were sofas and chairs. The fireplace was visible from the front of the room.

There are doors on each side of the fireplace. Behind the doors should be the dining room.

"I beg your pardon for asking you to meet with my father's unreasonable demands."

From Ash's point of view, there seems to be a pale blue flower blooming in the shadows of a pillar. Silvia, who arrived first, quietly stood up from her chair.

"Princess......!"

Ash was fascinated with Silvia’s ice blue coloured dress.

The cold coloured clothes made her blond hair and white skin even more dazzling. Standing in front of him was a person––who usually hid behind her usual strict and arrogant attitude at school, but was now––presenting herself in a more regal manner.

"Huu? Anything wrong with you, Ash?"

Silvia was confused.

"Nothing, but...... I think that you are beautiful."

"Wha ......!"

Like a volcanic eruption, Silvia's cheeks immediately flushed. She silently and shyly faces downwards.

"Hey......"

At this moment, Ash sensed a murderous intent rapidly arising from behind. Ash nervously glanced back and saw Eco angrily walking towards him.

"When I had put on my dress ...... you didn’t even say a word of praise!"

"Y-You are of course also very beautiful."

"To say those hypocritical words right now, I won’t even be happy about it!"

Eco snappily looked aside to ignore Ash and she took a glance at Silvia's chest.

"Hmph...... I understand. In the end you still like female animals with big boobs! You like those that feel soft and very elastic when touched, right!"

"I had never said such thing! Why do you need to bring up that topic!"

Ash had also gotten angry.

"Boo hoo ~! I had finally found you!"

At this time, the sound of crying had broke the tension.

"Ash-sama and Eco...... how could you even... silently sneak back home!"

Prim was running back while breathing heavily. Not only are her eyes were red and swollen, she is also breathless.

"Oh god......!"

Ash then remembered the stuff that he had totally forgotten. That’s right, right before they entered the mall, they left Prim beside the trees next to the street.

"I'm sorry, Prim-san!"

Ash was sincerely apologizing to her by bowing down. Seeing Prim’s crying face, even Eco is affected.

"I'm sorry ......"

Although Eco was still angry, at least she gave a verbal apology.

Only then Ash found out the situation they were in before Prim came into the picture had completely disappeared.

Cosette said to the sobbing Prim while smiling: '''(!)'''

"Prim-oneesan is really amazing. You had cleverly grasped the timing for your appearance."

Upon hearing this, Prim only replied with a confused expression.

===Part 2===
"Hoh? So you're that famous Ash? Hmm, you look talented! So the one beside should be Eco, right? Wow! You really do have horns! It's amazing!"

To Ash's surprise, Paladin Oswald was a person who was readily approachable. Logically speaking, he should have been entering his old age, but his round face still looked very smooth and shiny.

"It should be very tiring for you to come all the way here from afar. Well, well, no need to be so polite, make yourself at home."

There were only the four of them attending such an amazingly long dining room table. Cosette and Prim were standing behind Silvia and Ash looking solemn

On the other hand, behind Oswald, there's a maid who was wearing spectacles. She is Florida.

After they finish their prayer to the Virgin, the dinner officially began. The first course was soup.

Because Ash was overly nervous… the taste of what he is eating was almost completely lost.

At the same time, Eco, who is beside Ash, placed her plate on the table with a loud bang.

"The soup is not bad, but is the meat done yet?"

Eco didn’t use her spoon and directly finished the soup in one go. On her nose and mouth whitish soup stains could be seen.

"Uwaa, Eco ......!"

Prim quickly helped Eco to wipe her face with a napkin.

"Eco! You are being rude!"

Ash was sweating.

"Ha ha! Don’t worry. There is no need to impose human etiquette on a girl who is a dragon."

Oswald gave a laugh and ordered Florida who was behind:

"It seems that Eco-san is not satisfied with this style of eating. Go and tell the chef, serve all the food that has been prepared right away."

"Yes, sir."

With a serious look, Florida marched off toward the kitchens.

"Hmmm, I was asking myself what kind of pretentious person the Paladin would be, but I didn’t expect that you to be quite friendly. I like you!"

Eco put on her egoistic manner of speaking.

"To be appreciated by a dragon girl, I am very proud. I must enjoy the night."

"Father...... Look at you, even the Paladin title is going to be in tears. Can’t you display a little of a ruler’s dignity?"

Silvia unhappily complained to Oswald. Without knowing whether she had no appetite or she was silently protesting, she just sipped a mouthful of the soup and put her spoon aside.

"What are you talking about? If not for the dragons, I'm afraid this continent would have long been dominated by the Empire. For me to respect Eco-san isn't anything other than proper. Ha ha ha!"

After Oswald let out a laugh with a loud voice, the waiters, one by one, brought out various cuisines and wine bottles.

"This fried steak is made from the Chevron’s heifer.”

A waiter said, while placing a plate in front of Eco.

"Waa......!"

In front of the thickly cut steak, Eco’s eyes brightened. Without using the knife, she took a fork, directly stabbed and lifted a slice of meat, and then swiped a huge juciy bite out of it.

"Nn......!"

The next moment, Eco reacted as if she were shocked by electricity and her body twitched. After biting into the thick cut of meat, she didn't move an inch.

"Hey ...... are you alright?"

''Does it not suit Eco’s taste?'' After Ash questioned her, Eco suddenly relaxed the muscles of her body.

"Oooh...... I'm so happy ~"

Ash smiled. She should have been overjoyed. She is almost over the moon.

"Hehe...... She is still the same old Eco."

Silvia who was glum before also smiled softly. It was probably because of Eco's innocent reactions that she was able to forget about her anger.

Fortunately, after seeing Silvia smile, Ash also felt released from the tension.

===Part 3===
Silvia while sipping on her drink, quietly watched Ash.

''- In all fairness, this scene is unexpected......''

In the recent months, Ash had quite an incredible performance, to be able to receive father’s praise is really what he deserved.

But for a student, who is also a normal civilian, to be invited into the castle to have a meal with the Paladin on the same table is really strange.

At the same time Silvia bears these feelings, Oswald finally smiles while asking Ash some questions..

About Eco’s birth.

About the Ark that Eco created.

About the battle that occurred in Ansarivan and Willingham Mausoleum...... and so on.

Ash seems to have expected that he would be asked these questions, and his answers to them were orderly.

Also, the formal suit gave a bonus effect, Ash looked incredibly manly tonight. Gradually...... Silvia's cheeks became hot.

''- W-What’s wrong with me ......? Why is it that every time I look at Ash...... my feelings become so complicated?''

Her true feelings, from the unsettled depths of her heart, were only trying to express themselves.

And these strange thoughts made her confused.

"If not for you and Eco-san, Ansarivan, the training camp at Allonnes lakeside and the Willingham Mausoleum may have been razed to the ground. I thank you for all this."

Oswald gave a bow.

As a king of a country, he even actually bowed to a normal citizen.

"...... Father?"

Silvia immediately came back to her sense and stared at Oswald.

"Uwaa! Please stop bowing! I can’t afford to have it!"

Ash was frightened. He quickly stood up in order to avoid letting Oswald stand alone.

However, the real shock is yet to come.

The declaration that Oswald made after he raised his head was beyond Silvia’s imagination.

"So, starting today, you're a Dragner."

"Thank you-...... Hu! I am a Dragner?"

"What is there to be surprised about? For this sole purpose, I summoned you to this city."

Oswald looked calm.

At that moment, Silvia realized what Oswald meant by saying, ''“As a Paladin, I think there is a suitable reward for him”'', when she returned to the castle.

Silvia thought to herself.

''- How unfathomable is Ash's development?''

Eco was just born three months ago. Logically speaking there was still a great deal of room for her to grow.

''When Eco reaches her adulthood, how powerful a Dragner would Ash become……?'' Silvia couldn’t even imagine.

The only certainty is that–– In Lautreamont Knight country, even a civilian, as long as he can get the Dragner’s title, will become highly respected. If he can continue to become an Ark-Dragner, he could even gain the same status as a noble. Through this method, a wedding with one of the royals is no longer a dream......

''- M-Married? W-What am I thinking about!''

"Are you alright, Princess? Your face is red."

Cosette casually whispered from behind, which made Silvia panic.

"N-Nothing!"

After all, Oswald was also present, so Cosette did not continue to pursue this behavior any further.

===Part 4===
''-Starting today, you're a Dragner.'' Ash suspected he might have misheard what Oswald had said.

"But...... isn’t it only a Maestro’s rider who's qualified for the Dragner’s title?"

"Ash, I’ll ask you. Do you dare to say that Eco-san is not a Maestro?"

Oswald glanced at Eco. Even under this tense situation Eco was still happily eating without even bothering the others.

"I......"

Ash was speechless.

Because Eco's appearance was always in the form of a girl, in the end Ash was clueless about what kind of dragon she might be.

The only clue was the title "Avalon's Imperial Princess".

"As the Paladin, it is my obligation to give you a reward for your accomplishments. I don’t deny that this has never happened in the past, but since I had already decided on the matter, from this day onwards you are a Dragner. Florida, prepare the item."

"Yes, sir."

The statue-like Florida suddenly moved.

Without Ash noticing, Florida was now holding a plate in both hands. Placed on the plate was a pocket watch engraved with the Knights’ royal family’s crest.

"I, in the name of Paladin Oswald, appoint Ash Blake as a Dragner."

“At your majesty's service.”

Ash knelt on the spot and respectfully took the silver watch.

"The Continental Congress is around the corner, the city is now busy at the moment...... the official appointment ceremony will be held separately, please accept the silver watch and bear with it for a few more days."

"I-It’s my pleasure!"

The words ‘appointment ceremony’ made Ash shudder. And in his mind, the image of the two statues previously seen in the central square––Chevron’s King Lionel III and the first generation Paladin, Paladin Durham––naturally entered his thoughts.

===Part 5===
When the dessert was served, Silvia suddenly remembered something and blurted:

"Chichiue, I have heard that the Zepharos Empire’s emperor will not attend the Continental Congress. Is this true?"

"Hmm. He turned down the invitation because of old age. Actually, elderly Ortofon VIII <ref>オルトフォン</ref> is already 80 years old...... the problem is that he even refused to send a prince or a princess to represent him. Their way of doing things is somewhat disagreeable......"

"Who did the Emperor choose to be his representative?"

"I heard that it is the head of the Viderhausen house. Since ancient times they have been the barons and warlords for the Vandenhaar borders for generations."

While listening to the Silvia’s and Oswald’s talk, Ash pictured the continent’s map.

Vandenhaar is a land of the empire. It is located on the other side of the mountains and it is near the Lautreamont Knights Country.

"To actually allow an ordinary noble to represent the emperor...... they are a little too arrogant! It seems that the Empire has not yet given up the fight to take over the continent. The Necromancia is also probably their––"

At this time, Oswald with his rarely seen father's attitude, scolded Silvia.

"Silence Sylvie. There are some things that cannot be spoken of. The other party indeed is very suspicious, but our main priority is to communicate. Whatever it is, we cannot let the tragedy of the Xenoglavia’s War repeat itself. The Continental congress ‘Elysium’ was created solely for this purpose."

"...... What you are saying is correct."

Silvia nodded seriously. It seems that she was reminding herself not to be careless the next time.

Then, like wanting to sweep away this tense atmosphere, Oswald smiled.

"Right! About tomorrow’s masquerade I would like to invite Ash and Eco-san to join. What do you think about it?"

"What is that? How does it taste?"

Eco asked, while touching her bulging belly.

Masquerade? This was also the first time Ash heard about this topic.

"Hmm...... You all don’t know? Tomorrow night’s masquerade is organized to cordially promote national relations."

"Tomorrow? I remember that the Continental Congress will be held the day after tomorrow, right?"

Oswald nodded while answering Ash’s question.

"That's right. In other words, this ball is like a prelude before the congress. Even though the congress only allows the leaders of each country to attend, it is different for the ball. Every person, together with their leaders, is eligible to participate."

"But why do you need to hold the masquerade? A mask is meant to cover your face. No?"

"It was arranged so that the participants would eliminate the gap between countries. To put it bluntly, the mask is a tool to help us to express ourselves."

“I see…”

Ash certainly understand the reasons for organizing the masquerade. But was it really ok for himself and Eco to attend such event? After all, it is a party meant for VIPs of all countries. He had the feeling they'd be out of place.

Silvia probably noticed Ash’s concerns, so she gave him a boost.

"You and Eco are close to me, so of course you are eligible to participate."

"Princess must also be participating, right?"

"Yeah...... basically."

From her answer, it seems that Silvia is not at all excited about the ball. Compared to those kinds of gorgeous balls, it's presumable that she would be more interested in riding Lancelot and soaring high in the sky.

"Eco, have you decided?"

Ash tried to seek Eco’s views.

"As long as there is meat, I don’t think that there is anything bad by attending."

After he heard his expected answer, Ash smiled.

"Then it's decided! Please enjoy tomorrow’s ball! Anyway, Ash...... there is one thing that I would like to confirm with you clearly."

Oswald suddenly leaned forward.

"Wh-What is it?"

Oswald’s eyes were now emitting a very serious feel. 'So this person can also display a such a serious side'...... Ash thought rudely.

"I’m thinking...... You still haven’t had any impure relationship with Silvia, have you?"

"......Hu?"

"Veronica is also very worried about your relationship with Sylvie."

"Chichiue! What nonsense are you talki..."

Silvia, whose face was already red, was trying to refute, but......

"Silence!" Oswald gave a loud shout, like a raging thunder god.

Silvia didn’t even dare mutter a single sound. Indeed, he is the one whose title is Paladin, so being able to display such a forceful attitude was expected......

"Ash, you must know this clearly. I’m really grateful for your help, but you must not confuse it as permission to begin a love affair."

"Err ......"

"If you dare put your claws on Silvia...... I, Oswald swear, that I will personally sanction you! Do you dare to swear? Swear that you'll never touch my Sylvie by even a single hair?"

The fat round face is pushed in front of Ash was menacing and forced him to answer. It was simply torture.

"I swear, I’ll swear no matter what......!"

Ash, who lost under Oswald’s pressure, screamed out loud.

"Princess and I...... Are not in a relationship!

"...... Do you really mean it?"

"Please, please believe in me! Princess please also help explain the situation!"

The only one in this world who is able to stop her father’s jealousy was Silvia. Ash was likely hoping to seize that last hope, looked at Silvia for help, but––

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

Silvia’s face somehow looked a little guilty, and she quickly averted her sight.

"You are the Dragoner! ~A.B.S.1365.7~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 2

2015-08-22T17:05:50Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 2 -Fontaine City, the capital of the Knights */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 2 -Fontaine City, the capital of the Knights==
===Part 1===
Early in the morning, on the fourteenth day, in the month of Cancer.

The day to depart for Fontaine City, the capital of Lautreamont Knight Country, had finally arrived. Ash and Eco had already made their preparations for the journey and were again standing in front of the campus’s fountain.

Actually; today also happens to be the first day of the semester examination finals. Though Ash and Silvia had already formally requested to leave the school grounds they will have to take a makeup examination when they return to the Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

But with the thought of meeting with the Paladin, Ash felt that the final semester examination is but a trivial matter.

"Anyway...... this outfit is really hot." Ash complained.

He was adjusting his bow tie with his fingers.

Ash is in a palace-designed manservant uniform. The well made dark coat gave out an extra elegant feel.

"Don’t you know that I also feel very hot too!!!"

On the other hand, Eco is also wearing maid attire which is also a palace design. It is exactly like the same ones Cosette wears daily. Even though she still looks kind of cute in the uniform, unfortunately her unnecessarily high self-esteem is at work, causing her mood to be ugly.

Needless to say, it is not Ash and Eco’s intention to wear such clothes.

In fact, this was proposed by Cosette.

This was to avoid unwanted rumors when the two of them went back to Fontaine city accompanied by Princess Silvia.

Indeed, if the Princess were to travel back home, alone together with a male student, it would not be surprising if some rumors would be born from it. Moreover, it seemed that, the thing that attracts news reporters’ curiosity most is the affairs of the palace’s nobles. This is also the reason why Eco and Ash were disguised as servants.

As it happens, first bell sounds off at this time.

The students hurried out of their dormitories and rushed over to the school. This being an final exam day each student wears a terrible murderous expression.

"Fuwaa ......"

Eco yawned. She was still sleepy for getting up early and looked as if she was without any spirit. Even so, her shiny hair that reflects the morning rays was like a pink gem stone which gave her a divine like look.

"Err...... is Silvia not ready yet?"

"For Princess, it is like she is going back home. It should have been that she needed more time to pack up her stuff."

"What was that? She asks us out early in the morning but she is late herself? How could there be such a rude female animal!" 
[[Image:SnRK V04 037.jpg|thumb|Eco is also wearing palace designed maid attire]]

"Hey, how can you call Princess as a 'female animal'!"

''Eco needs to take care of what and how she's going to speak before she causes trouble by uttering some nonsense in town''... Ash secretly thought.

===Part 2===
A few moments after the bell rang, Lancelot glided down landing gracefully with Silvia and Cosette on its back.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Silvia had her blond hair tied and is wearing a dragsuit embroidered with the knight’s royal insignia. She looks as if she is a mythological character.

Eco immediately lost her sleepiness and angrily shouted:

"Why are you so slow!! And what’s with that costume? And you even made a prideful dragon wear a servant’s clothing... What a disappointment!!!"

"Ara? I’m so sad. I had initially happily thought that it is a rare chance for me to be in the same attire as Eco..."

Cosette replied for Silvia. She covers her mouth with her hands and turns her face to avoid looking at Eco, and started sniffing.

"Wait... what is there worth crying about! That... You usually take care of me, and since we have the opportunity to wear the same clothes, I'm also glad about it..."

"Hehe. Thank you Eco."

Sure enough, Cosette, with a nonchalant look, was laughing.

"Wha... How dare you trick me!"

Eco immediately grew angry, but nothing more could be done.

"We are ready to take off. Both of you please come up!"

Under Silvia’s command, the group finally departed.

===Part 3===
"Ash Blake and young dragon Eco... had left?" Anya coldly muttered.

Anya had coincidentally arrived at the dragon riding academy and saw Lancelot, and the rest, flying high up into the sky.

The rumors that Silvia will attend the Continental Congress––'Elysium', and that Ash and Eco who have gained the opportunity to meet with the Paladin––had long ago spread like wildfire.

And, naturally, this information had been passed to Anya.

All the intelligence received so far had been completely reported to Milgauss.

Milgauss, who had an abnormal interest in Eco, immediately launched his plan.

Using Fontaine City as its location, the combat strategy reformulation is well underway.

Anya will also then leave for Fontaine City.

But.... What confused her was why doesn’t she have her usual motivation.

''––Recently, there is something wrong with Milgauss...''

The previous Milgauss usually obeyed his duty from the Empire’s Army’s Intelligence Department, and always calmly completed his task.

However, since he met with young dragon Eco, Milgauss seems to have changed into a different person.

The Milgauss of now, compared to helping the Empire’s Army, feels increasingly like his actions are more in his own interests.

But Anya is inspired by Milgauss. Regardless of which country Milgauss defected to, she is prepared to follow him silently.

If it is so, her desire to look forward to the day Milgauss reveals his ‘secret’, is it regarded as an arrogant wish...?

“What am I thinking about!!" Anya harshly scolded herself.

She then walked towards the parking space for the dragon carriage. <ref> 竜車, RyuuSha normally it means an imperial carriage, but in this novel it means a dragon powered carriage.</ref>

===Part 4===
"What is that...? This is the first time I seen such a huge city!"

The time has just passed noon, the time when the sun becomes stronger, Eco gives praise.

Fontaine City’s spire gradually appeared at the other end of the Fotainia’s vast plains<ref>フォンティーン is for Fontaine and I’ll put Fontainia for フォンティニヤ</ref>. The scenery of the town surrounding the spire had just come into view.

"Be careful not to fall down."

Ash reminded Eco who is behind him.

Eco was touched by the scene in front and had loosened her grip on Ash’s waist.

Speaking of waist, Silvia is holding the reins while controlling Lancelot right in front of Ash.

This is the third time in his whole life Ash rode with Sylvia.

Ash initially did not mind sitting at the rear, but before he mounted Lancelot, a smiling Cosette gave up her position as seconded to him.

On their way there, Silvia's hair has an aroma of roses which caused him to feel uneasy. As if the wind that had been blowing on his face is stained with Silvia’s body fragrance.

To keep himself from thinking about Silvia’s body fragrance, Ash carefully observed Fontaine City.

This metropolis is centered around the castle.

In the space above the urban areas, many Dragners acting as guards can be seen flying around.

This scene gave an unusual feeling of tension.

"Hey, Princess, does this city usually have so many Dragners?"

"No. It is because the Continental Congress is around the corner so security was reinforced."

"I see. Anyway... Why deliberately choose such a busy time to summon Eco and I? Ahh, I have no offense against the Paladin."

"Sorry... I do not want to talk about things regarding my father."

Because he felt such strong resistance, Ash abandoned his investigation.

At this time, the Dragners in charge of the security noticed Lancelot’s arrival. They lined up in mid-air, uniformly and put on their salute pose.

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Silvia with a loud voice responded to those Dragners who respectfully saluted to her.

===Part 5===
The five-story Fontaine Palace stands right in the center of the capital. It is an old city that can be described with 'simple yet sturdy'.

A huge number of maids were gathered at the entrance to welcome the return of the Fourth Princess.

It is estimated that the number of maids is around thirty. They were divided into two rows, standing one at each side and gave a deep bow to Silvia. It is not surprising to have the palace musicians preforming at this moment.

"Welcome back, Princess. The Paladin has been expecting you for a long time."

A maid wearing spectacles, representing the other maids, stood in front of Silvia.

"I would be of better use making the guests familiar with the palace..." Silvia said reasonably.

After that she then turned her attention towards Ash and Eco, but...

"No. You must first greet the Paladin."

The bespectacled maid kept her stance and refused compromise.

"Haa... I understand."

After Silvia sighed but promised, she spoke to Ash:

"This is how it is. We will do our stuff separately for a while. If there are any questions, you can inquire anything from her–– Florida."

Ash nodded in understanding. So Silvia, with an imperial imposing manner, marched towards the stairs at the inner part of the entrance hall. Cossette also followed Silvia.

Just after Silvia and Cossette climbed up the stairs and disappeared behind, the maids gathered around the hall dispersed to their various duties.

She is full of murderous intent.

"What’s wrong with them...?"

Ash blankly murmured. Then, Florida, who was the only one left, walks towards them.

Florida is a head taller than Ash and, just because of this, Ash felt a huge amount of pressure. But hidden beneath the spectacles, the sharpness of her eyes were no less than a knight.

Just by being looked at by such a woman, it is not a wonder that Silvia will obey her... Ash can finally understand how she felt.

"My name is Florida Shelley. Both of you are Ash Blake-sama and Eco-sama the dragon, am I right? Your room has already been taken care of."

Florida, without a smile, led the two to their bedroom.

From the entrance hall to the corridor, the walls decorated with the works of well-known painters and sculptors. Among them, many of them were related to dragons or Dragners.

"That... Florida-san is seems that your Surname is Shelley, right? Could you be by any chance a relative of Cossette?"

Ash asked.

"Cossette is my cousin's sister. Does it have anything to do with you?"

"N-No... Sorry."

Once he was glowered at, Ash was trembling with fear. Her personality compared to the kind Cossette is like two different worlds.

Florida then continues to speak:

"Please forgive me for saying this; the Continental Congress Elysium will be held on the coming day. Currently the whole city is busy carrying out the preparatory work. Logically speaking, this is not really a suitable time to entertain guests like the both of you."

"Haha... I understand."

Since the other party had said this very straight forwardly, Ash can only smile bitterly.

However... Eco had a temper worse than Ash. She shook her pair of fists, and grumbled as if she was cursing:

"You really don't know how to say anything nice... it is not really a suitable time to entertain us? Why don’t you ever think of why we came here from a faraway place––"

Ash quickly whispered to Eco:

"Please don’t be mischievous while we're here in the city! I don’t have that many lives..."

"Err... Since she has spoken cruelly to us... and yet you want me to just forget about it with just a smile?"

"What else can we do?"

"Eh-Hem!"

Seeing as Florida gave a cough, Ash quickly turned silence.

"Because I still have work to do, I don’t have the time to entertain you both."

Florida continues to add fuel to the fire.

Ash, while covering Eco mouth, said: "Please don’t trouble yourself. After we meet with the Paladin, we will immediately head home. After all, the Continental Congress has nothing to do with us."

"Your analysis is correct. Having said that, for not entertaining the guest, it is not a tradition of the Lautreamont family. Fortunately, Princess Veronica-sama has sent someone responsible to take care of you two. Please be rest assured."

"Huh? Princess Veronica-sama...?"

Ash sensed something that made him felt unease.

Florida stopped in front of a door along a corridor on the fourth floor.

"This is your room."

Just when Florida places her hand on the golden doorknob––

''-Doong Toom''

A strange noise can be heard from behind the door. The series of several loud thuds might make people suspect an avalanche is occurring.

"W-What has happened?"

Florida with a great change on her face changed, rushed into the room.

"Sorry ~!"

Upon entering, a young maid was crying in the middle of numerous books scattered on the floor.

"Prim-san...?"

Ash blankly muttering the maid's name.

The maid in front is Cosette's sister – Primrose Shelley. Logically speaking, she should be working on the airship Silvanus...

''No, apart from that, the point is, why is Prim only wearing her underwear?'' The white underwear is bulging with a huge amount of flesh.

Just when Ash was staring at her cleavage-

"You idiot! Who allowed you to stare!"

Eco’s severely elbowed his tummy.

''"Urgh!"''

"Prim! Why are you dressed like this?!"

Florida asked Prim.

"T-This is because... Every time I clean, I do not know why my clothes would get dirty... So I thought up a way to clean while being naked, such an action wouldn't get my clothes dirty!"

"It doesn’t matter if our maid attire gets dirty! Besides, why would this room be in a mess?"

Books that were scattered on the ground. A bucket that was tipped. Water puddled on the floor. Littered rags. And the unnatural position of the carpets.

The room before it was cleaned, should have been cleaner. Ash thought.

Without waiting for the sniffling Prim to put on her clothes, Florida left the room.

''"Prim is then responsible for taking care of Ash and Eco"''- Which is the parting sentence that Florida said before she left.

To Florida, Ash and Eco’s visit is only an additional burden for her. To put it bluntly; She just passed the trouble on to the useless Prim.

As for Veronica's involvement, who sent Prim here for support, things were not better off. Although, looking from the perspective that they already knew each other, it is not wrong to say that Prim is suitable for this job...

"Glad to have the opportunity to meet with you again, Ash-sama!”

Prim who finally put on her maid uniform leaned over. By smelling her fruity body smell, Ash heart starts to race.

Long-time no see, Prim-san."

"Who is this lady?... Don’t tell me that you had a mistress without me knowing?"

Eco unhappily pinched his tummy.

"Where did you learn that word from? She is Primrose Shelley-san and is also Cosette's sister."

"Indeed... She does look like Cosette, but it seems that she is not a good maid."

"Uuuuu!"

Eco’s criticism hits the bull’s eye. Prim stepped back.

"Eco! Be careful of how you are speaking!"

"It does not matter... Ash-sama. It is true because my clumsy personality is an indisputable fact... Are you Eco?"

Prim looked excited, she is staring at Eco.

"W-What are you looking at...?”

Eco is stunned. Strictly speaking, she should have been overwhelmed by Prim’s breasts. Her magnificent breasts were shaking roughly in front of Eco.

"Waa! You really have horns! Can I touch them?"

Like a child wanting to touch a small animal, Prim stretched out her hand towards Eco.

"Stop... of course you may ''not'' touch them!"

Eco immediately exposed her teeth while dodging.

Since a few days ago, when her weakness about ‘by nibbling her horns she will become powerless’ was exposed by Lukka, Eco is always on alert about people who were going to touch her horns.

"What is special about touching a horn! Quickly clean the room! What a mess it is in, I can’t even rest and have a cup of tea!"

"Uuu... Sorry... I'll tidy up right away."

"Ah, it's better if I do the cleaning."

After hearing that Ash is going to help, Prim jumped up on the spot

"That is outrageous! For a maid to let a guest do the cleaning, it's worse than death!"

"No, it's not helping... I should say that I’ll do all the work. Prim-san, please accompany Eco."

"Err, but..."

"Please!"

Seeing that Ash is insisting, Prim forcefully nodded.

===Part 6===
Ash, who was good at cleaning, spent less than thirty minutes to finish up. If it was given to Prim, most probably it will be until the sun sets.

Ash looked at the room again.

Indeed it is a guest room in the castle, all the furniture used were first-class goods.

Hung on the ceiling was a crystal chandelier inlaid with bright-dragon-crystal.

Even a heater, that is useless in the summer, was also placed in the room.

The room had two beds, which nearly made Ash burst in tears. Because normally, in the student dormitory, his bed is given to Eco. He could only place a futon on the ground......

Eco who was looking at the scenery from the window, like a child suddenly cried out loud.

"Woah... Come and have a look!"

Because the room was located on the fourth floor, they were able to view the scenery around the capital.

Ash stood beside Eco, looked at the streets below.

The view, that he had only seen previously in pictures, is right in front of his eyes. The big churches, Opera Houses and other large facilities were all over the place. It's a special view that can only be seen in the capital.

"..."

Ash casually looked at Eco, sure enough, she obviously had an impatient look.

Even though she is also obviously taking a peek back at Ash, once their eyes met, she pretended to turn her head the other away. Anyhow, Ash had lived together with Eco for three months and he immediately knew what she is thinking.

Besides, since it is still early, they were not told to stay in their room...

"Do you want to have a look at the streets?"

Upon hearing Ash's proposal, Eco suddenly revealed a blooming flowers-like laugh, but she soon put away her smile with a stinking face and crossed her arms.

"Hmm... I don’t really get what you are thinking. It doesn’t matter whether I am going there or not, but if you really insist on going, I can consider accompanying you. But then, before that..."

"Before that?"

"I want to change my clothes! I've had enough of this maid attire!"

Eco started to roughly remove her maid uniform. Her smooth white shoulder, back and waist suddenly became visible.

"Uwaa! Don’t do it so suddenly!"

Ash quickly turned to the right to avoid looking at Eco’s naked body.

===Part 7===
In the king's hall, Paladin Oswald leaped from his throne, and made a perfect curve while flying towards Silvia.

"TCH... you are really annoying!"

Silvia’s iron fist soon hit Oswald’s round face.

“Ouch!”

Oswald spouts a nosebleed as he falls backwards.

The glorious Paladin’s blood soon soaked into the red carpet.

"From the strength of your punch... you have grown up to be more and more like your mother."

Oswald slowly climbed up from the ground while saying it with emotion.

Silvia's mother- Queen Elizabeth was a famous Ark-Dragner during her lifetime. But, in the end she had lost to a disease.

Since the Queen had passed away when Silvia was three years old, she doesn’t have a strong impression of her mother.

There is a huge portrait behind the throne. Her mother in the painting looks elegant, featuring a pair of vulture-like piercing eyes.

In Silvia's eyes, her mother was someone she admires. She hoped that she can be a woman like her mother one day.

However, different from her heroic mother, her father- Oswald... is nothing but a worthless person.

He was always with his smiling round face and his round body. Although he didn’t imitate the past Paladins by forgoing a large beard, but even with kind words, he can’t be considered good-looking.

These are just the small problems; the main thing is his mushroom-like hairstyle. Silvia really wanted him to have it changed. Even though he was quite satisfied with it, his daughter is really embarrassed by it.

Don’t know whether it is unfortunate or lucky that Oswald hadn't been chosen by the Mother Dragon as a breeder.

"Come closer Sylvie, let me look at your beautiful face."

"I do not mind being looked at by you... but please do not come a step closer. You are filthy!"

"Uhoo! Even your style of scolding others is like Elizabeth’s!"

Seeing Oswald blush, Silvia had had enough of him.

"Don’t you have any sense of shame! Being overjoyed because of being scolded by your daughter... what nonsense is that!"

===Part 8===
After she forced her father back to his throne with her kick, Silvia asked seriously:

"What in the world made you summon me back home? I’m just an ordinary student and still studying. Why would you order me to attend the Continental Congress ‘Elysium’...?"

"Why should you be so timid? You are the Fourth Princess and also a Dragner. Of course you are fully qualified to join the line-ups of the Lautreamont Knights country's leaders. Anyway, the person who recommended you isn't me, but Veronica."

"Anee-ue she...?"

Indeed this is an idea that only Veronica would think about, Silvia thought secretly.

She intends to make Silvia, who declared "I am determined to become the Paladin", to accumulate some experience regarding the royals.

If she can be involved in the Continental Congress ‘Elysium’ before she is twenty, she will get quite some valuable experience.

Of course Veronica would surely be attending as the First Princess. With the thought of going to greet Veronica later, Silvia is getting a headache.

"In short, as long as I can see Sylvie, I’ve no objection. That’s why I simply just accepted Veronica's opinions."

"I see... Then about summoning Ash Blake and young dragon Eco in such a busy period, why did you do so?"

Even when he was gazed coldly by Silvia, Oswald remained calm. He just plays with the small beard below his chin with his fingers.

"Now is indeed a busy period, but Sylvie, you must have already known... I am just the Paladin by name. Most of the government tasks are handled by my excellent subordinates, the busier they are at work, the more leisurely I become."

Silvia is at loss for words.

"In other words... you just want to find someone to accompany you, no matter whom it is?"

"Well, that's true. I have heard about the rumors about Ash Blake and young dragon Eco."

Silvia lost her might. ''This father is simply no different than a child'', she thought.

Perhaps that he felt guilty after seeing Silvia’s looks, Oswald like giving an excuse said:

"Of course it is not that simple. I also know of what Ash Blake has contributed. As a Paladin, I think there is a suitable reward for him."

"Suitable reward...? What is that?"

Silvia curiously asked, but Oswald only exposed a child-like naughty smile.

"Oh, tonight I'm going to entertain Ash Blake and Young Dragon Eco with a dinner. If you are interested, you may attend."

"I don’t even want to know!"

Silvia’s face is red and she wanted to immediately turn around and leave, but before that she came out with a question:

"... I also have one thing that I want to ask father."

"Huu! Feel free to ask."

Oswald who overly bored happily allowed it.

"I would like to ask something about Brother Julius."

Upon hearing that, Oswald expression instantly freezes.

Even cheerful Oswald, once he heard someone mention the name Julius, his face sank. Although Julius sentence was ten years ago, but that name until today is still considered taboo.

"Was Aniue<ref>兄上, a very polite way to call your elder brother.</ref> really executed?"

"W-What are you talking about...? Sylvie? He was a Dragonslayer. Even though he was a prince, we mustn’t spare him."

"I understand. I’m just curious..."

"In the future never mention such silly question, alright? There are things in this world that can be spoken off and things that cannot."

“…Yes.”

Silvia with a serious expression promised and left the king’s hall.

Cosette who was waiting in the hallway with a tactful tone asked her:

"What’s the outcome?"

Silvia while walking faster, she replied:

"Once he heard me asking about aniue , chichiue’s<ref> 父上, a very polite way to say father.</ref> eyebrows gave a reaction. Whenever chichiue is lying, his left eyebrow would stir up––this is his sign."

Silvia clenched her fist and continued to say.

"I'm afraid that chichiue couldn’t bear to kill aniue, but just had him exiled..."

===Part 9===
The first place Prim introduced to both Ash and Eco was the central square.

"Fontaine City’s central square is a very well-known tourist attraction. On the right side, you can see St Rosa Maria’s Cathedral. Beside it is the Fontaine National Opera House. On the left side you can also see the Ark-Dragner’s Museum."

Prim is certainly not good at cleaning, but she could become quite a good tourist guide since she is a local.

"It's terrific... Terrific! This is the knight country’s capital...!"

Eco ran lightly on the evenly spaced stone slabs.

She was wearing a hat that covered her horns. Although the water-coloured sleeveless one-piece dress exposed some of her flesh, it was still very suitable for the young and lively Eco. Her legs, without her stockings, were stepping along on a pair of white sandals. This dress was specially bought, in the shopping streets in Ansarivan, for this trip.

"Eco, be careful not to get lost!"

Ash and Prim were quickly chasing after Eco’s footsteps.

Even though it's daytime, on a weekday, the central square was still packed with people. There were shoppers, tourists and many innocent children running around.

Eco stopped in front of a flower garden. The inner part of it is full with flowers blooming under the summer sun. The flowerbeds were placed in layers, and there were a couple of bronze statues on the top most tier.

There were a set bronze statues depicting a knight and the king. The knight was kneeling with his head lowered. The king was wielding a unsheathed sword, placed lightly on the knight's shoulder.

"What is that statue?"

Prim answered Eco’s childlike question while smiling:

"This group of bronze statues is a scene of the appointment ceremony. At the time, the Chevron king- Lionel III appointed Durham-sama as the first Paladin. Later, the person who revitalized the Lautreamont knight country was Durham-sama himself."

"Oh... it sounds like it is full of history."

Eco was admiring the statue.

The date engraved on the base is year 864 November the third in the year of the Saint. Dating back about five hundred years.

Perhaps she was satisfied with the statue, Eco turned around and lazily stretched her waist.

"Nn~! The size of this place completely different from Ansarivan! I’m getting more and more excited!"

"After all, Ansarivan is just an academy city. I think it does not make any sense to compare the two."

After Ash gave his analysis, he was being stared at angrily by Eco.

"You really love to spoil the fun! Since it's rare for us to be in the capital, I want to totally forget about the Paladin and enjoy the fun!"

Eco majestically made a declaration and her red eyes were shining in splendor.

"Hey! How can we forget about the Paladin!"

Ash quickly corrected Eco.

===Part 10===
Eco was enjoying herself in the capital. Without realizing, the sun was setting.

"I think it is almost time for us to return to the castle?"

After Ash suggested, Eco refused to listen to him without any explanation.

"No. We haven’t visited the shopping district!"

Eco ran forward, her dress swayed with the wind. According to Prim, it seems that following further along this alley, they will eventually arrive at the capital's largest shopping district.

"We don’t really have a choice."

While Ash was smiling, Prim suddenly reached out and pulled his sleeve.

“Prim-san?”

"That, Ash-sama... I-I am exhausted... I am alright with staying right here and waiting for you to return."

Prim, with an exhausted look, stood beside the trees beside the streets. Her shoulders were moving up and down from her breathing... Because she was sweating her clothes were clinging to her skin and made her figure stand out very attractively.

After Ash adverted his eyes from Prim, he thanked her.

"Prim-san, thank you. We will try to come back early. If any stranger starts a conversation with you, never follow him, okay?"

"I am not that innocent!"

Ash entered the shopping district with Prim protesting against him from behind. He was already scanning for Eco in the crowded area.

On both sides of the street are a row of buildings doing businesses.

Food, clothing, jewelery, books, groceries, furniture... there should be nothing that you can’t buy here, right?- The wide variety of goods at this place will make others think so.

Apart from the shops, there were also a lot of street vendors. Every vendor was using every trick they knew to attract guests before they choose to visit other cafés or restaurants. The sweet aromatic smell was appreciated by Ash.

Unsurprisingly Eco, also attracted by the appetizing smell, was staring at one of the street vendors dazed. A middle-aged man can be seen cooking the crust of crepes on an iron grill.

"Hey, you still want to eat...?"

Ash spoke timidly behind Eco.

In fact, before they came here, they had already eaten cakes, apple pies and tea in a café.

"How can I be so careless! I had forgotten that I haven’t eaten any crepes today. How can I actually commit such mistake! If I didn’t taste any crepes here, it means that I have wasted my time in the capital... Don’t you also think so?"

“What sort of nonsense is that!”

After Ash had finished commenting, Eco was already queing up at the back of the serving line. It seems that she had made up her mind and refused to leave.

"Haa... After you have eaten this, you are not allowed to buy any others, alright?"

Eco with a "''hum~''" she was humming a song and she did not answer.

"Having said that..."

Only just now did Ash realize that those who were lining up to buy crepes... most of them were couples. Some were holding hands, the others were hooking their arms and there were also people who were flirting......

Eco, who also witnessed all that, turned around and asked Ash

"Haa... Why are they sticking together so intimately? And... Why do you envy them?"

"D-Did I have that expression?"

"You were like a hungry dog, or I can also say that you were like a caged pig."

“You really are mean!”

"Hey, you haven’t told me why?"

"B-Because... they are couples."

After Ash shyly answered, Eco slightly blushed.

Although Eco is just a three month old young dragon, she had been living in the academy. Basically; she had a certain understanding about the concept of couples.

"I see..."

After Eco calmed down, a new customer had lined up behind Ash. Judging from their conversation, they seems to be a couple.

It is now evening and the sun is setting behind them, causing the couple's long shadow to be cast upon the stone slabs on the ground in front of them.

"...!"

The shadows of the two can be seen sticking closely together. Also, words such as "''I love you''", "''my life is only for you''" and other sweet and tender phrases for couples can be overheard.

"..."

Eco's attention was focused at the shadows, after a while she suddenly stretched out her right hand to Ash.

"... Eco?"

Eco turn to look at the side and snappily muttered:

"If it is just holding hands... I don’t really mind it."

Ash was shocked. He didn’t understand why Eco suddenly said that. Was it because she wanted to protest against the other couples, or she was just pitying Ash who envied the rest?

Anyway, Eco looked purer today. She was probably affected by the special atmosphere in the capital. It was like Eco was under the capital’s magic.

"So... Let’s do it."

Ash held Eco's hand as his heart beat increased. The moment their hands touched each other, Eco was startled. Her palm was smaller and softer than expected. Eco's body temperature was passed to Ash through her palm.

At this time, the couple behind them were fully immersed in their world.

From their shadows...... they were obviously kissing, and it was still quite an intense affectionate kiss. Their flirting had suddenly stopped at half-way- this gave them a deeper sense of reality.

"...!"

Eco seems to have also noticed the unusual circumstances behind. She was staring at the shadows on the ground for quite a moment.

"Y-You can only hold my hand! I-I will not allow any further development!"

Then she declared at Ash who was standing beside.

"I-I know that!"

Later, the two silently queued up.

''In the eyes of others, are we like a pair of lovers...'' While feeling Eco’s warm hand in his... Ash thought so.

===Part 11===
"Nn? It smells wonderful!"

On her right hand is a chocolate mint flavor while on her left hand is cream cheese and raspberry flavor. Today, it was a rare sight for Eco not to directly eat it, but start with smelling it.

"Be careful not to hit any passers-by."

Ash casually reminded her, but Eco abruptly looked up at him.

"Why didn’t you buy anything?"

"I don’t have a choice...... the price here is higher than Ansarivan. Even a crepe costs three hundred glorins<ref>グローリン: Money. I guess the term is patterned after 'florins'. It will have to do for the moment.</ref>."

"What... hearing you say this, am I being luxurious?"

"I'm not blaming you. Since it is rare for us to be in the capital, don’t you worry about anything."

"... Take it."

Seeing Eco suddenly hand out her right hand’s Crepe, Ash becomes confused.

"Eco?"

"You can only have a bite..."

The reason that Eco’s face looked red... perhaps it was not just caused by the sunset.

"Can I... really?"

"Didn’t you say that it was rare for us to be in the capital? If I am the only one enjoying... It doesn’t feel right. You must also try to have some fun...!"

Ah... for her to be this kind, it must be the capital’s magic responsible for it.

''Until what extent will Eco act cute today?''

"Then I’ll take a bite... Nn! This is...!"

The chocolate’s sweetness and the mint’s refreshing feel gradually spread out in his mouth. The crust spread with cream is crunchy and soft.

"It's delicious! Really delicious! Eco, come and have a try!"

"Why are you exaggerating?"

Seeing Ash’s teeth marks on the Crepe, Eco looked sad. But eventually temptation wins out and she straight away took out a big bite.

"Nn... What is it? This is the first time I ate such a delicious crepe!" Eco was excitedly shouting...

Just then... A huge object, passing not too far away and above the shopping street, slowly occluded the red and setting sun and cast its huge shadow over this area of the city.

Because of the sudden disappearance of the sun, everyone looked curiously upwards–– then they involuntarily came out with a sounds of amazement.

Ash and Eco were no exception, they looked up at the sky dumbfounded.

An air carrier was floating in the sky.

The size is far bigger than Princess Veronica’s airship Silvanus.

On the air carrier, there is a flag of the Zepharos Empire. On the other side of the flag there was a huge family crest that Ash had never seen before.

“Is it the Empire’s nobles?”

Someone answered Ash.

"That's the Viderhausen family’s coat of arms. I heard that the head of the Viderhausen family is going to represent the Empire in the scheduled Continental Congress."

Cosette suddenly appeared.

"Hehe, I'm here to pick up Ash-sama and Eco."

Ash was amazed.

She could even find them in this crowded city.

"... Pick us up? Why?"

"Because Ash-sama and Eco are going to join tonight’s dinner."

"Dinner...?"

Seeing Ash muttering, Cosette suddenly straightened herself.

"The Paladin is expecting the both of you."

By judging this sentence alone, Ash finally understood the situation he was in. The Paladin had finally summoned him. Ash was surprised to have the honour to be invited to a dinner with the Paladin. Ash only expected that he would only get the chance to greet the Paladin in the throne room.

"Hehe. Princess will also be attending. No need to be nervous."

Hearing Cosette say this, Ash was relieved.

Although, with Silvia acting as a social bridge, it is hard to say that he need not be nervous.

"Let's go."

Lead by Cosette, Ash and Eco were on their way home.

Though Ash felt like he had forgotten some important event, his head was already full of tonight’s dinner.

===Part 12===
Near the entrance to the shopping district, Prim was leaning by the trees eagerly looking forward for Ash and Eco’s return.

Without realizing, it was already dusk and the pedestrians around gradually thinned out.

"Uoo~ how come the two of them are not back yet-! Uoo.”

"Eco's Hioliday ~A.B.S.1365.7~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 4

2015-08-22T16:01:33Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 4 - Avdocha the Convicted */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 4 - Avdocha the Convicted==
===Part 1===
Early in the morning, Ash put on his uniform and rushed out of the magicship Silvanus straight to school.

Since he has obtained Veronica’s permission last night the guards in charge did not stop Ash.

On the way there Ash didn't encounter Captain Glenn. Of course, Ash also simply did not want to meet him.

By quickly running up the stairs he finally arrived at the Student’s Council’s office.

"I’m entering."

He opens the door without hesitation but just as he does so… An object, like a cannon, flew into his arms.

"Oh! ......Eco?"

Eco’s body is soft.

Yesterday she probably went to stay in Rebecca's room for the night. He smells a sweet scent. One that that will not make you tired of it and yet will also make you feel refreshed.

"Something wrong?"

Eco’s attitude made Ash feel troubled. The feeling is like that between a pet and its owner that have been separated for a long time, and it leaped at its owner when they were reunited.

The thing that he doesn't understand is… Does Eco have those kind of feelings? They didn’t see each other for only one night... And yet. Her personality has become so docile?

"It's annoying that you are so slow…..."

Eco buries her face in Ash’s chest and is reluctant to let go. Not only did she not let go there are also signs that she is hugging him a lot more tightly. The heat from her is transferring to Ash's body.

If it's only just that… Then he can let it be. Right after that thought, Eco grabbed Ash’s tie and pulled him right into the front of her face.

"S-Slow down. Wait... My neck is going to break ...!"

Ash quickly put his hand into the gap between tie and neck, which barely enables him to breathe once again. At least he was now free from the danger of suffocating.

What was wrong with Eco so early in the morning?

Her cheeks are bright pink and her eyes were watery.

Ash is struggling but Eco continues to attack.

"Huff......"

After making that cute sound… Eco’s feet begin wrapping around his leg.

Her legs in knee socks, one of them sliding in between Ash thighs. The moment her soft thigh came into contact with his crotch his whole body shivers.

"No...... My body is so hot... I can’t stand it any longer." Eco gasped.

As she kept tugging Ash’s tie while lifting her body up.

Her half opened lips moving towards Ash’s cheek––

"Uwaa!"

Extending her tongue she gently licked Ash’s cheek. Like a dragon who wants to be spoiled by its master.

"...... Ah?"

At this moment… Ash spotted something–– from Eco's mouth there comes a rose like smell.

"You...... Show me the inside!"
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p004-005.jpg|thumb|'' Is this...... alright! '']]

"Is this......alright?" Eco says after she jumps down.

The usual Eco would ignore Ash’s order. However this morning, it is now like she is a different person. Her cheeks are getting redder and she stares at Ash’s face.

Being flirted with by her eyes… Ash saw Eco actually gently lift her miniskirt.

"... Huh?" Obviously Eco was confused about what 'inside' meant.

For the moment. Ash just couldn't understand what was happening right in front of him.

"You...!"

Ash almost fell backwards.

The thing clinging to Eco’s pure white skin almost caused his awareness to be swept away. That underwear, embellished with lots of lace, was designed for adults!

Suddenly he came back to his senses… Ash obstinately holds Eco’s hands.

"What are you doing you fool! I'm not talking about the skirt. It's what's inside your mouth!"

"Umm... I know..."

Eco with a flushed face opens her mouth halfway.

Behind her pearl white teeth, a pink tongue can be seen.

"So this stuff is the culprit!"

On Eco’s tongue was a piece of round candy.

A strong Ansal smell went into his nostrils.

Even though Ansals are harmless to humans, it brings a strong intoxicating effect to the dragons. Like drinking alcohol is for humans… Ansal’s smell brings pleasure to dragons.

The problem is that Eco is only a young dragon. Even with only a small amount of Ansal the result it brings is hard to predict.

"Come on. Quickly spit it out!"

"Nn....”

Eco exhaled a mouthful of heat, and firmly grasped Ash’s tie.

Don’t take Eco as just a petite girl as her strength is still like a dragon.

Ash, unable to do anything, can only let her pull him–– Eco, with Ash immobilised, mouth half-opened with her lips...

At the same time, Eco’s tongue breaks past the barrier.

"...!"

The two sticky and slippery tongues entangled.

The unimaginable shock made Ash’s mind go blank and transfixed in place.

"Tee hee..."

During that time of contact, the candy was rolled into Ash’s mouth.

Through his mouth, Ash could still feel Eco’s body radiating from the mouth-fed candy, which was melted into half of its original volume.

Ash was utterly entranced.

"You… Just now..."

His face was so hot that it felt as if flame was going to burst out from it.

Before, Ash was wholly concentrated on the mouth-fed candy. That was why it was only until now that Ash found their lips were sticking tightly together. Eco then slowly averted her face, revealing a devilish smile.

Thinking hard of what had just happened… Wasn't that his and Eco’s first kiss?

"Nn....”

Suddenly, like a puppet whose strings were cut, Eco fell limp.

She buried her face in Ash’s arms and fell into a deep sleep. Seems like the drunken Eco has finally fallen asleep.

"Really... She only knows how to give people headaches."

Just as Ash breathed a sigh of relief–– A new voice is heard...

"..... From the position of between a human and a dragon, your behaviour just does not sound healthy."

"Uwaaa!"

Hearing a surprisingly calm voice, Ash was shocked.

''- Glup!''

The candy in his mouth is accidentally swallowed.

"....Rebecca! Since when have you been here?"

Rebecca leisurely crosses her arms in front of her chest, as she stood in the doorway. Her face is wearing a snappish smile.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p169.jpg|thumb|Rebecca leisurely crosses her arms in front of her chest, as she stood in the doorway. Her face is wearing a snappish smile.]]

"Do you even need to ask? Of course… When Eco ran out of the room."

"Isn’t it that you were here from the beginning to end? Why did you stand on the side-lines and not come to my aid!"

"Well that scene was very exciting! Oh, Ash, by the way, that underwear Eco is wearing belongs to me."

"Yikes...!"

After hearing that, Ash cannot help but think about Eco’s exposed underwear...

Those laces flooded his whole mind, the material should be silk, right? He remembers the top has a unique gloss. It turns out that Rebecca usually wears those kind of underwear–– After getting lost in his imagination Ash returns to his senses.

"Hey! That's not the point! I would like to know why Eco’s mouth was stuffed with that candy."

"Ahh. You mean that? That is my self-prepared, personal snack. When she saw me licking it on my palm, Eco came and begged for one. When I saw her eager face… How could I heartlessly refuse? "

"Rebecca, even when you knew the Ansal herb will have a negative effect on Eco, why did you continue to let her eat it?"

"Huu? ... I do not understand what you mean by that."

Rebecca exposed a playful smile and hid inside her room.

===Part 2===
Rebecca looked at the faces of all those who were present.

"Then let the meeting begin. Silvia will not be present for today’s meeting... So there are only three people left?"

She was correct. Right now. The ones who are sitting around the table are Rebecca, Max and Ash, the trio. By the way… Eco is lying on the couch.

The Vice President and the Secretary don't seem like they intend to attend this morning either.

"Right... Doesn’t it feel a little lonely?”

After Ash stated this Rebecca looked at him ridiculously.

"Any problem with it Ash? Are you so lonely when Silvia is not here? Is Rebecca onee-san not enough to satisfy you?"

"How could I dare to think so?!!"

Ash was too nervous to know what to do next. Max, right beside him, was also shocked but he interrupts:

"President. We don't have the time. Please don't tease Ash anymore and quickly begin the meeting."

"Hmm. You’re right. Every time I see Ash… I just want to make fun of him."

Rebecca, with a bitter smile, returns back to the topic.

"As you have heard, Princess Veronica's condolence trip is going to be held this afternoon. Actually... We must represent the academy’s students by accompanying the Princess."

Ash senses something bad.

"The people who are going to accompany the Princess must be Max, Ash, Eco and I. This is Princess Veronica’s orders. We do not have the right to refuse."

Just like what he sensed… His bad feeling was correct.

"Princess Veronica has many enemies. If someone wants to assassinate the Princess they certainly will not miss this great opportunity. Even though there are the seven escorts, who are in charge of the security, we still should not neglect precautionary measures. We, as mere Dragner's, must also be mentally prepared to be able to protect the Princess when there is danger."

"Please. May I ask ..."

Ash timidly raised his hand.

"Is there a problem Ash?"

“Rebecca-san. You're not a 'mere' but a dignified Ark-Dragner. Max, also, is an outstanding Dragner but I'm just a humble breeder.”

"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn’t you also have the famous title 'Silver Knight'?"

"... That's not the kind of title I want. Even if you give it to me for free."

"But I think that it's suitable for you. Back to the topic... The next thing is the main point."

After changing the topic… Rebecca showed a serious expression and passed the information in her hands to Ash and Max.

That is commonly known as a 'Wanted Poster'.

The entire sheet of paper is full of the details of the criminal’s characteristics and looks.

The reward offered actually reaches up to one million Eccles<ref>The currency in this story. From a town in UK.</ref>. Compared to a normal reward this amount is excessively large.

"We received some information from a certain party that 'Avdocha the Convicted' has infiltrated Ansarivan. Everyone please be very careful."

===Part 3===
The Ansarivan revival operations are well underway. The noise, hustle and bustle of construction and repairs sounded off in St Durham’s Square one after another;

The sound of the roaring man supervisor.

The sturdy frame operator’s loud cry.

The knocking sounds of the hammers.

The Necromancia’s attack had happened a full two weeks ago.

The Square had been razed to ruins, and yet today the revival operation was going on smoothly.

Magicship Silvanus landed slowly from above the square.

Right after she safely alighted from the magicship… Veronica immediately, with a loud voice, announced to the public:

"Dear countrymen! Thank you for your hard work!"

On recognizing the heroic Veronica… The scene is suddenly full of cheers.

"Wow. It's the Princess Veronica Her Royal Highness!"

"To even think that Her Royal Highness will actually come to a place like this..."

"That armour really looks valiant!"

Every worker stops doing their work as they are all moved and full of tears. However, Veronica just stared at them fiercely and...

"Who allowed you to rest?! Why are you bothering with my existence. Immediately continue with your work!"

At Veronica's loud voice, even the earth would shake! Furthermore, the Asias that were brought to the construction site were also shivering.

"Yes. Princess!"

Even though all the workers are burly, self-confident and brawny, they were all now feeling particularly vulnerable and hurried to resume their own work.

The sense was more like a strict supervisor who came rather than a condolence visit. Ash, standing beside Veronica, cannot help but laugh bitterly.

Rebecca, Max, Ash and Eco, the four of them followed along with the arrangements made in the meeting this early morning. They are accompanying Veronica as the student representatives.

"Hmm... There is something strange."

Eco from the start is looking around aimlessly.

Did she find out something unusual using her dragon’s intuition? If it is so, the situation they are in will be a serious one, it is most likely an enemy of Veronica.

"Eco? Is there anything suspicious?"

Ash, with a nervous voice, asks Eco but she then revealed an extremely unhappy expression.

"The crepe stall is gone."

"... Hu?"

"I said, I can’t find the stall selling crepes!"

Ash is dumbstruck. What Eco likes to eat most is none-other than the crepes sold in the stall selling crepes in St Durham Square.

"You tell me... What Crepe seller will do business in this construction site?"

"Wuhu<ref>Whining sound.</ref>...... My crepes..."

Eco is so disappointed that she showed a dejected expression and there are tears whirling in her eyes.

"Really.. I can’t stand you any longer. The owner must have moved his stall to some other part of the streets. Later we will look for it together… Alright?"

"Really?"

Once she had heard this, Eco immediately smiled dazzlingly.

"...!"

Her smile is like a full blooming rose of which Ash cannot help but stare at deeply.

"Something wrong?" Eco asked when noticing Ash's stare.

Right after Eco confusedly asked… Only then did Ash come back to his senses and, with an pumped up attitude, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem. No. Nothing......"

In short. His bribery has been successful and Eco will, temporarily, quiet down. After all, he is now playing the role of Veronica’s guard with a heavy responsibility. Just in case this job was messed up by Eco, it would be hard for him to make sure that his head stays on his neck. Using crepes in exchange for the safety of his head… This price is nothing.

"Hmm. Using the strength of an Asia? A breeder who chooses to be a civil engineer is really rare."

"Y- Yes. I’m just lucky!"

At the same time as Ash is trying to keep Eco calmed down, Veronica’s condolence trip is smoothly being carried out.

Apart from the square, the surrounding buildings have also been damaged by the Necromancia. Which is why there are many carpenters are working there right now.

The carpenter Veronica is talking to seems to be a breeder and at the side an Asia can be seen pulling a trolley.

The fierce looking carpenter, due to excessive fear when facing Veronica, looked very nervous. Somehow, this scene is really amusing.

Looking at that the kind of laid-back scene Ash suddenly remembered the name that Rebecca brought up at the morning meeting.

--‘Avdocha the Convicted'

According to the report; She has the blood of a Tantalos. From a young age she has been doing guerrilla activities in the mountains. Later on she spread out from the mountains and was involved in terrorist attacks across the continent. She is very famous for her anti-establishment activity.

But five years ago, in the capital City of Fontaine, after Veronica’s assassination ended in failure… She was never seen again.

Some reports stated that such an activist is likely to stage a comeback for Veronica. Of course. The credibility of those reports are yet to be verified but still they must be prepared for the worst.

Ash gathered his nerve and whispered in Eco’s ears.

"Hey, Eco."

"... What’s the problem?"

"In case that I ran into a dangerous situation… Could you make me the Ark?"

"Well. Do you even want that kind of patch up work? I don’t mind, but there will be conditions-"

"Alright, alright, no matter how many crepes you want to eat... I’ll buy them for you."

''Except for the ansal flavor crepes...'' Ash, in his heart, silently added just as the nearby church bell rang.

That's the bell to indicate one o’clock in the afternoon.

"It is already this late...?"

Listening to the solemn bell, Silvia's face suddenly emerges in Ash's mind.

The building around St Durham Square has more than one church.

At this time Silvia should be complying with Veronica's command by offering her prayers in the St Valeria’s church for repentance.

Just when Ash takes Silvia’s feelings into account, and his mood was subsequently depressed, something happened.

Suddenly. ''-Boom!''

The sound of an explosion can be heard.

"W-What happened?"

Ash, surprised, looked toward the other end of the town square.

A thick black smoke is seen rising into the sky.

"It can’t be ...!"

The worst thought emerges in Ash mind.

The location where the black smoke emerges is St Valeria’s clock tower.

At the same time the explosion occurred, the public presently gathered in the square started screaming and the crowded site degraded into a mess.

After all, only a few days ago they were subjected to the Necromancia’s attack. Because of that, the present reaction of the town citizens are particularly extreme.

“-Princess please return to Silvanus.”

At this time, Glenn’s voice is heard.

"You’re right." Said Veronica, as she just calmly nodded without blinking an eye.

Ash who could not help but angrily interrupt said:

"Didn’t you see that church? Princess may be right inside there -"

However, Veronica coldly interrupts Ash:

"Don’t worry. From now on, I declare from this moment, Silvanus will become the strategic headquarters of this Operation. All of you, please return together."

Even when her biological sister may be caught up in the bombings, Veronica’s calm attitude really pissed people off.

===Part 4===
Silvia arrived at the St Valeria’s Church.

Under Veronica’s order she did not even bring her maid Cosette with her.

St Valeria’s statue was positioned on the altar.

St Valeria is one of the Twelve Apostles who served St Rosa Maria.

In the denomination of Rosa Maria's bible; St Valeria is not only portrayed as a woman full of compassion, but the protector of law.

In addition to Silvia, there are also many people who patronise the church. Most of them look like tourists though. So, those who are like Silvia––who have their own troubles––are of the minority.

“St Valeria. Please forgive my imprudent actions."

Silvia knelt in front of the altar and began to pray.

"St Valeria’s..."

At this time, someone else right beside Silvia is non-stop praying.

That voice feels very familiar.

"Please bless me so that I will get pregnant with 'Silver Knight'-sama’s child......"

"What are you praying for?!!"

"Kyaa!"

''THUND''. That person is so shocked by the other roaring voice that she screamed and fell backwards.

Silvia carefully looked at her face.

"...I knew that it was you, Jessica Valentine!"

Jessica stood up straight and stared back at Silvia.

"Oops. Look at you… You're not with the Princess? I thought you were to accompany Princess Veronica for her condolence trip today."

"Err... Sorry to tell you that I did not accompany her!"

"Y-You. What are you getting angry about?"

"Give me a break! That is not the point… How come you're here?"

Jessica obviously does not understand the reason Silvia is so angry.

"Well. I just wanted to beg St Valeria to bless me for an easy childbirth..."

"St Valeria is a protector of law! You have looked for the wrong Saint! "

"Hmm. I’m not like the rest, I won’t even bother such a small detail."

"What type of small detail is this?”

"Hm... If you keep on clinging to petty things like this… You will never be on equal footing with the Princess!"

Silvia, who feels her weakness is exposed, suddenly became furious.

“What did you say? Outsiders like you will never understand!"

“It's obvious at a glance–– There's too much difference in both of your open-mindedness."

"Ugh! How shameless are you... to talk about someone else pain!"

"Oops. It is your pain? Oh… As a royal you are far behind Veronica-sama. In your open-mindedness and as a Dragner your strength is far less than 'Silver Knight'-sama; I advise you to learn how to be a woman, you can take this noble’s daughter as an example."

"What did you say......?"

Silvia couldn’t bear with it any longer and her rational thinking snapped. She felt that what Jessica implied was as if she is trying to persuade her to hurriedly marry Glenn. Although logically it is impossible for Jessica to know of her arranged marriage with Glenn, but Silvia can’t care about the details so much.

"Ha! A mere Randall family’s servant even has the nerve to ask me to take her as an example? Even my toes are laughing!"

Jessica's face turns from red to white and back to red.

"Can it be Rebecca had told you...?"

"Don’t worry, under the president’s order, I will not spread this to the public. But, I would like to advise you to have a little restraint and stop falsifying your status."

Jessica lips tremble, she fiercely glared at Silvia.

"Then I’ll ask you... Can you can guarantee that your actions are never related to falsehood?"

"I-I..."

Silvia is also afraid that someone will see through her timid side, which is why she is always pretending to be strong. As one of the Lautreamont Knight Country’s Princess' she is trying her hardest to play the ideal image of ‘This is what a princess should do’.

Isn't such behaviour also taken as falsehood?

"Oops. Could it be that I hit the bull’s eye?"

"N-No. That's not it...”

Just while Silvia intends to voice a rebuttal-

''-Boom!''

The sound of explosion came from above.

The floor shook due of the impact, while dust, sand and stones fell from the ceiling.

Judging from this evidence… There seems to have been an explosion upstairs.

"Kyaa!"

Silvia is so frightened she inadvertently clung to Jessica.

Maybe Jessica is equally caught up in the panic and she wraps her arms around Silvia and hugged her hard.

Silvia and Jessica’s screams are like a trigger which make the other visitors cry.

It was only one explosion but compared to the original sacred atmosphere of the Church, it instantly turned into a living hell.

At this time… A condescending shadow was cast over the apalling scene.

"Who’s that person?"

Silvia's eyes widened.

Black hair, with gimmering eyes full of evil.

Wearing a native folk costume, with a high degree of exposure, an almost tanned coloured skin can be seen.

Like in a drama, the woman began to speak:

"‘Blame the sin, rather than the sinner!’ What a joke! The fragile mind of a human is the root of all evil, and all who are sinners will never escape death!"

''WHACK!'' The woman snapped a toss of the whip in her hand––

"I shall be called "Avdocha the Convicted’"!" <ref>In this sentence she speak in an high and mighty form. It is very hard to translate so the simple form will be I am 'Avdocha the Convicted’.</ref> The woman said in a high and mighty manner.

Silvia became dumbstruck.

She remembers that name.

"How come... this person is 'Avdocha the Convicted’?"

Silvia knew about the existence of this anti-establishment activist. Long ago… She had also seen her 'wanted order' several times.

Her reward amount is up to one million Eccles.

However, the woman in front of her has the face of a child, a petite body, and a childlike appearance, which caused others to disbelieve she is a battle-hardened terrorist. She is totally different from the picture in the wanted poster.

But the woman with a calm expression looks at the visitor.

Even while her body looks petite, she is still able to look down from up high.

That is because she was standing on the back of a basilisk!

Under the sight of the big rolling eyes that only a basilisk has––

''"Eek...!"''

Both Silvia and Jessica trembled.

The extreme fear causes them to not release each other’s hands.

––––Basilisk!

Even though they bear a striking resemblance to lizards, their size is nowhere near that of a normal lizard. Although they are well known as close relatives of an Asia, judging from the body's apperance, there is not even a slightest hint that they have a Dragon's intellect.

After capturing it... To tame such monster and ride it like a horse, no matter what, it could never be done by an ordinary person.

So the only explanation is… The woman in front is none-other than 'Avdocha the Convicted’––

"From now on, you are all hostages! Just don’t act rashly and I will not take your life! On the other hand... If someone dares to fight back… Don’t blame me if we use you to feed him!"

Following Avdocha’s order, the basilisk made an earth-shattering roar.

===Part 5===
The atmosphere of the airship Silvanus’s navigation room was very tense.

The crew, led by the helmsman, are at their posts; They were ready to take off at any time.

"Huhu... It's hard even for me to tolerate this, Glenn."

Veronica who is smiling while sitting on the captain seat said.

"Yes. Veronica-sama."

Glenn seriously nodded in agreement.

Apart from the escort’s captain Glenn who is by Veronica’s side, the other six escorts are on their dragons responsible for the protection of Silvanus.

Under Veronica’s order Rebecca, Max, Ash and Eco ––members of the student’s council–– also gathered in the navigation room.

"Hey.... How can you be so calm? The church that Princess is in was attacked!"

Ash, unable to restrain his emotions, questioned.

Veronica, on the captain’s seat, comfortably cross her legs and teased:

"You're too inexperienced Ash. During the Necromancia’s attack, were your emotions this unstable? If it is so, then you were just lucky the last time–– You'd better give some deep thought about it or else you cannot guarantee even your own life."

"What did you say?"

"Veronica-sama!"

At this moment the communication sergeant, while looking back at Veronica, interrupts Ash.

"There is a signal from St Valeria’s Church!"

Beside the communication sergeant’s hand, the Bright-Dragon-Crystal next to the magic communicator is shining.

"Connect to it."

"Understood!"

The magic communicator continued to flash for a while then a projection appeared in mid-air.

"––!"

Ash gasped. Even though he knew that this is a type of oracle, he had never seen such method. The technology must have been imported from the Empire.

Although there is a lot of static noise, the scene shown on the screen looks like the interior of the St Valeria’s church–– St Valeria’s statue set on the altar statue proves this fact.

The only thing is, the screen didn’t show the hostages. Of course, that does not rule out that Silvia could have been abducted.... which made Ash anxiously clench his fists.

At this moment… The projection screen suddenly shows a woman's face.

『 "I shall be called 'Avdocha the Convicted’. Wait, since we are already familiar with each other, I don’t need to announce my name… Right Veronica?"<ref>This is also spoken in an high and mighty form.</ref>』 She again spoke with a haughty and powerful voice.

"You're right. So could you quickly tell me what your demand is?"

Veronica shows the calm demeanor of a royal family.

"She is...'Avdocha the Convicted’?"

Ash's eyes widen and he turns speechless.

Seeing her childlike face Rebecca, Max and Eco seem to feel the same way as Ash. All of their faces looked stunned and skeptical.

Because comparing between her looks and the arrest warrant they received earlier… They are apparently two completely different characters.

The portrait in the arrest warrant looks like a 24-year-old she-leopard with a sharp look, which gave the feeling of a veteran guerrilla soldier......

『 "I’ll let you have a look at this first!"』

The screen suddenly focuses at another person’s body.

The altar of the Rosa Maria’s religion is magnificently decorated with its symbolic totem wing like crucifix. However, there is a person tied to the winged cross.

Ash and the others turn speechless and not just because of Avdocha’s fetishes.

"Jessica...?"

Rebecca, who knew her since childhood, muttered blankly.

She is not wrong, the one tied on the winged cross is––the president of the SKFC––Jessica Valentine, of all people. Evidently she seems to have inadvertently become a hostage.

"That’s t-too much!"

Ash's lips are trembling.

Jessica is actually only wearing her underwear.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p190.jpg|thumb|The humiliated Jessica was desperately struggling to hold back her tears.]]

Apart from her underwear and knee socks the rest of her clothing was mercilessly stripped away.

The humiliated Jessica was desperately struggling to hold back her tears.

Not only that, there are also squiggles on top her bare belly that reads:

''- The Head of Valkyrie!''

"That. Is that blood text...?"

"No. that does not look like blood. It should be something like lipstick.”

Rebecca swept away Ash’s worry.

"Hmm... To even use hostages as a meat shield to make me offer my head. She is really an insatiable woman." Veronica calmly remarks.

Even after witnessing Jessica’s inhumane treatment, Veronica is still so easy going.

At this time, the screen slowly moves downwards, and the altar is shown.

"...What is that?"

Ash frowns.

Around the altar, there are black objects that give the impression of a ''"machine"''. Although it is an extremely strange and rarely seen thing, they are filled with a dangerous atmosphere that can never be found coming from equipment within the church.

From the screen Avdocha’s voice is heard again:

『 "As you can see we have a bomb set up in the church. This is an Empire made mechanical bomb. Once detonated, the church will immediately be blown to pieces. Also, I am a person who has no patience. Every time the bell rings... I’ll kill a hostage."』

"What did you say...?!"

Ash excitedly clenches his fists.

She is threatening that every hour there will be someone who will lose their life.

Until the next time the bell rings… there is only around fifty minutes.

『 "Hehe... I can’t wait to see your head when it is off your neck Veronica."』

Once finished with these words the communication was terminated.

It seems that Avdocha stopped it herself.

"Your Highness. What should we do now?"

Rebecca asked, but a sneer is shown on Veronica’s mouth.

The coldness of her sneer, caused Ash’s hair to stand up straight.

"I’ll never compromise with terrorists. If we face an emergency situation we’ll use the main canon of Silvanus to blow up the whole church."

"What ..."

After hearing this emotionless declaration, Ash felt as if he is punched at the back of his head.

Even when she knew that Silvia may also be inside the church. But...

"You are really...!"

Ash finally understands the reason Veronica is given the title 'Ironblood Valkyrie'.

===Part 6===
---Moving backwards slightly in time---

Nearly a hundred worshipers were taken hostage along with Silvia. Of course, due to unexpected events, they are trembling endlessly while still trying to grasp the situation that they are in.

The terrorist’s mastermind is 'Avdocha the Convicted’.

There are nine soldiers surrounding them.

The nine soldiers give off the feeling that they are from the mountains and are large, muscular men. They are dressed in their folk costumes; With an eagle looking mask on their face they are equipped with the mountain people's usual whip and shamshir<ref>Half-moon shaped dagger.</ref> dagger and others. The nine men seem to be loyal to Avdocha. In contrast to their savage like looks, they accept orders just like any regular army soldiers.

Avdocha’s objective is to defeat Veronica. She probably wants to take advantage of the 100 hostages to achieve this goal.

''"is there nothing that we can do?"''

''As the Knight’s Royal Princess… What can I do?'' Just as Silvia was thinking this, her first thought is the intention to expose her identity as the princess.

"As long as I identify myself, we could ask them to release the hostages......"

It is not an exaggeration to have this idea, because she could use her own value as the princess.

''If she can use a person's freedom in exchange for the safety of the public… Isn't this a very good bargain?''

"I will never allow you to do this!"

Surprisingly, Jessica actually tries to stop Silvia. When she heard Silvia talking to herself, with a low voice, she advised her to give up on the idea.

"Once they know that you are Princess Veronica’s sister there’s no one who can guarantee your safety."

"The problem is... If I am the only person who will be sacrificed and these people can be saved––"

"Do not look down on others! I never had the intention to sell you out for my freedom! For I'm Jessica Valentine!"

At this time, Avdocha, who was originally busy giving orders to the men, suddenly turned around and look back at Silvia and Jessica.

"Well, well, well.... There is someone who has the leisure to whisper around even when they are in danger. You really have guts to be doing that."

She took the reins of the basilisk and moved closer to the two. The basilisk with its heavy steps gives off a pressuring feeling; Silvia is almost scared out of her wits.

However. Jessica is the opposite.

She stood up from the spot.

"I am Jessica Valentine!"

"So?"

"Don’t look at me like that. I'm a well-known noble! Out of respect for me… Can you promise that you would never harm the other hostages?"

The heroic act gave Silvia a hard hit.

In such a situation… She actually had the courage to claim herself as a ''noble''...!

Avdocha sitting on the basilisk’s back, her eyes narrowed into a crack.

“Noble? I've never heard of the Valentine house... Anyway. We appreciate your foolhardiness; I’ll now give you an important task! Arrest her!"

Two of Avdocha’s men came forward without a word and held Jessica from both sides. Without any explanation they dragged her to Avdocha.

Like a comforting thought Silvia imagines that there is nothing that needs to be worried about.

However what unfolded in front of all hostages was a tragic scene.

First, Jessica's clothes were torn and stripped off. Then, Avdocha personally took a lipstick and wrote on her belly '''The Head of Valkyrie!’'' 

Jessica from the start to the finish didn't moan once and not even a drop of tears flowed out from her eyes. She just gritted her teeth and bears all this, but it is not difficult to tell what she is experiencing.

Finally, Jessica was taken to the altar and tied to the cross.

"Jessica... I've misunderstood you. In fact. You are a lot nobler than a true noble."

''-Compared to me. I-I’m...... Actually weak and incompetent.''

She could use her identity as a Dragner and fight back...... It is not that Silvia doesn't have this idea; the problem is, as long there are hostages, there is no way to summon Lancelot while in the church.

This space in the church is too small for Lancelot to use its skills.

''"Damn... Why am I... this useless?!"''

Apart from sitting down together timidly with the other hostages, in addition to unable to do anything, Silvia deeply hated herself.

===Part 7===
''"'Avdocha the Convict'? How can this be possible ...!"'' Anya murmured.

Anya, who is disguised as a flower girl, is mixed amidst about a hundred hostages inside the church.

In order to prevent her men, who deeply hated Veronica, from taking any actions Anya also infiltrated Ansrivan. She only went to the St Valeria’s Church to gather information but was unfortunately drawn into Avdocha’s terrorist act.

'Avdocha the Convict' is a legend in the mountains. Since she was lost in a military operation and there were no more rumors about her anymore. So many thought that she had died...

Anya since her childhood had already heard her name and looked up to her. Avdocha had left her village with numerous heroic legends.

Of course, this is the first time Anya saw her.

She had only seen her portrait in the wanted poster in the past at best.

The beauty on the wanted poster is a perfect match with the title 'Avdocha the Convicted'.

The record breaking reward amount, one million Eccles, is also a stunner.

Anycase, the person herself is not the same.

''-I actually didn’t expect that she had such a petite body... Logically speaking… Her actual age should be around the twenties.'' Anya thought to herself.

That aggressive basilisk who was tamed and obeyed her, is the best evidence that she is likely Avdocha. Because in Avdocha’s heroic legend, the basilisk didn’t just play a small role.

However, from Anya’s point of view, there are too many things that don’t fit.

''- Such a terrorist act... is nothing but foolhardy.''

In this world… There are plenty of rebels who recklessly sacrifice their own lives. The Tantalos tribe, since a long time ago, seems to be popular with suicide attackers.

However, judging from the rumors spread on many parts of the mountains, at the very least Avdocha is not that kind of reckless person.

She not only led successful fights one after another, in the end she always survived–– Because of this, Avdocha had become a legend.

Even after the ''‘killed in action’'' message was well known, people still think that ''"maybe she is still alive somewhere in the world"''. That is the part that makes Avdocha so scary and also adds some style to her legend.

Against such legendary exploits, it is impossible for her to do such a foolhardy act as this......

Anya feels that instead of thinking about these problems she should worry about her own safety.

''––Yes... In fact, what's she going to do next?''

Since Avdocha had already set the time limit, they will die if they just sit still.

Don’t forget each time the bell rings… One of the hostages will be killed...

How about if she revealed that she is also from the Tantalos tribe–– Even she did think that… Anya quickly waved off this idea.

She is a veteran.

Such people will not take Anya in as her companion just because of the same skin colour. To act rashly will probably end up with a harsh lesson like that of Jessica Valentine.

Although under Milgauss' help, the mountainous people's dispute was finally able to calm down, but there were a lot of Tantalos family who gave up their home and choose to come out from the mountains. That trend resulted in many people, who were not mountain emigrents, that had the same tanned skin colour as Anya's increasing.

Moreover. There are rumors:

Princess Veronica established a force consisting of foreigners. She also intends to use a different army system for them than from the Knight's army. They are also for other uses.

Also, there seems to be many mountain people who are included in the group.

''––I shouldn’t act rashly or else I’ll be suspected as a soldier from the foreign force......''

Even though Anya is disguised as a flower girl… But that woman is still Avdocha. Perhaps she may recognize that Anya had once undertaken military training at a glance.

''––If that's so… Then the smart move is to temporarily blend in with the hostages and see what’s going to happen next.''

After concluding all that, Anya is hugging her knees with her hands and her head is buried in between them. This way she will not need to face Avdocha directly.

If she can just avoid doing any unsightly behaviour, no matter how many times the bell sounded, Anya will never be so unlucky and be killed? After all, the number of hostages are as many as 100 people......

But god is never gonna let her get off so easily.<ref>This is a proverb.</ref> Beside Anya there was a mother shaking while holding her baby. Maybe the baby sensed her mother’s anxiety, the look on it's face was as if it's going into burst into tears anytime.

''- Please be good...!''

Anya immediately pulls her cheeks and began to coax the baby.

"Chaa...♪"

It is probably that her act is funny but fortunately the baby gave a happy grin.

She silently felt relieved even within her heart, but at the same time she starts to hate herself.

''- What am I actually doing...?''

===Part 8===
Rebecca suddenly speaks to Veronica.

"Are you going to send someone to negotiate?"

Veronica seems like she is interested in this proposal, and looks to Rebecca.

Even when the person she is speaking to is Veronica, Rebecca is still without fear, and gracefully stated her views:

"We must not use the main cannon of the Silvanus until the very end. I think we should make this our trump card and only use it when we are left with no other choice."

"Alright, we’ll follow to according what you had said."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"The question is who will become the negotiator?"

Rebecca with a confident smile responded to Veronica.

"Public order of Ansarivan, since ancient times, is maintained by the Student Council, so I think we should send someone from the council. If it's just a regular student I think they'll let their guard down."

Hearing Rebecca's rhetoric, Ash feels anxious.

Since Silvia was taken as hostage, and the vice president and secretary are nowhere in sight as usual, the candidates left behind are the trio of Rebecca, Max, and Ash.

Of course, everyone knows that Rebecca is the most suitable person for this task, but -

"I recommend Ash Blake as negotiator."

Rebecca has made a very surprising recommendation.

"Huh?"

Ash suspects he'd heard it wrongly.

"That... Rebecca-san, you're serious about it?"

Just when Ash is at loss, Eco interrupted Rebecca.

"Are you kidding? Do you want to let this guy go alone into such dangerous place?"

Facing Eco's fury, Rebecca replies her with a playful smile.

"Could it be that you are worried about Ash?"

Eco suddenly blushed.

"T-Th-That… How is that possible? What I’m protesting about is that you don’t have the rights to order my meat slave!"

Once those words were blurted out… The atmosphere in the navigation room immediately froze.

Even those officers who are in charge of the steering and the communication secretly peeped at Ash as if he is a suspicious person.

"Wait! Don’t talk any nonsense that’ll make people misunderstand!"

The ‘meat slave’ that Eco means is someone who will present their own flesh to their owners when they are hungry. But, by no means, were those officers imagining that kind of meaning.

But the situation right now did not allow Ash to explain himself just because everyone threw him a suspicious glance.

Finally, Veronica broke the silence.

"Well... I didn’t think that you are actually Eco’s ‘meat slave‘. I admire you have some backbone."

"That’s why I say it is a misunderstanding!"

Veronica looked at Ash who is desperately denying.

"Is there anything to be shy about? Isn't it that ‘meat slaves‘ are those who give their own flesh for their lord when they are aware that their lord is at the risk of starvation?"

"That’s why I say it is a misunderstanding... Huh?!"

Ash is stunned.

"You are really strange. If there are any other meanings… Why don’t you speak it out loud?"

Veronica is with a serious expression. As if she only knew this meaning.

Eco and Veronica's thinking seems to have something in common.

"Yes, you're right! That’s what Eco’s ‘meat slave‘ means!"

After Ash grasps the opportunity to explain… The atmosphere of the navigation room finally calms down. Finally, Ash escaped from those sharp glares and he let out a sigh of relief, but the most fundamental problem is not yet solved.

"In short, without my permission, you'll never be going to send him there!"

Eco, who is stubborn, refused to back down.

Similarly, like her, Rebecca looks like she isn't in a hurry either.

"Logically speaking, it's supposed to be my duty as president to go there––“

"Then you just only need to go to solve this problem!"

"The problem is that I cannot go because the terrorists should know that Rebecca Randall is an Ark-Dragner. If I was chosen as a negotiator it's likely that I’ll be ignored."

What Rebecca said is not unreasonable. If Ash was with the terrorists he’d also not greet Rebecca with open arms.

"So Ash, do you think that you can do it? There is a time limit, but you still have an equal strength as an Ark-Dragner. Nevertheless. You are also the ‘Silver Knight’."

"Don’t joke around! This burden is really too heavy for me!! No matter what… I’m just an ordinary student!"

"That’s right. It can be presumed that the other party also sees you as an ordinary student. So this is the advantage."

"The problem is..."

"Don’t be afraid. Even if it is dangerous, Eco will defend you. Am I right, Eco?"

"Don’t you just simply speak in place of others!"

"Oh! So you mean to say that you cannot protect Ash? Is the Ark you made so fragile?"

"I, I didn’t say that! Don’t you dare look down on my Ark!"

"Then, can you protect Ash?"

"Of course!"

Eco confidently lifted her chest.

Ash can only smile.

Rebecca’s technique is really amazing. He doesn't know whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, but Eco did not even notice that she had fallen into Rebecca’s trap.

“Don’t worry, Ash. Even when is Eco protecting you, I will not be bold enough to send you into the enemies’ den alone."

Rebecca, suddenly with a gentle smile, stretched out her hands and gently rests them on Ash’s shoulders.

"Huh?"

The distance between the two is so close that they can sense each other's breath. Even when it is an emergency situation, Ash still could not help but blush. A fragrant aroma could be smelled.

"I will wait for an opportunity to attack the church. It is just that I’ll not be doing the same thing as you. With the Ark, it's child’s play to break into the church through the foundation."

"Foundation?"

Ash at that time doesn’t understand what she means.

"So. This is it!"

However. He then realised Rebecca's intentions.

The first thing was to stall for time by sending Ash into the church acting as a negotiator.

Rebecca, on the other hand, is using the tunnels below to gain access to the church.

Next they’ll use the oracle to blast through the foundation and surprise Avdocha.

"President! Please let me participate in your plan!"

Max shouted.

When the Necromancia attacked the city Max was good for nothing and became a burden. He probably would like to take this opportunity to clear his name.

Rebecca immediately rejected.

"Sorry Max. This time you won’t come in handy."

"... What?!"

Max, burnt out like a candle in the wind, stood motionless.

Ash understands Rebecca’s intentions; he knew she did not mean to ill treat him.

Max, who still remains in the stage of a Dragner, can only show his true colours when he is riding his dragon he. However this battle must be done in small scale and the large body of the dragon will only be in the way.

The Ark-Dragner who can use the oracle specially for the Ark is very suitable for this kind of combat.

Rebecca was right, despite the time constraints, Ash has that ability.

Thanks to Eco’s power Ash can give it a try.

Since he has this ability, what should he do to fulfill his responsibility -

Ash made up his mind.

"I’ll go. After all… Princess is waiting for us to save her."

"Well then. That's more like it." Rebecca said with a smile of appreciation.

She then turned back to face Veronica.

"Do you think this strategy is practical, Your Highness?"

Veronica on the captain’s seat shaking her other leg, gave a satisfied smile.

"Very well, Rebecca. We will make use of your combat strategy, but I do not want to let talented people like you to go on an adventure alone, I’ll let Glenn go with you."

"Captain Glenn’s combat power is what I sought for." Rebecca agreed immediately.

But Glenn opposed it.

"Veronica-sama, I’m the escort’s captain, is it really appropriate for me not to be beside you -"

"What are you talking about? Glenn?"

Veronica whispers in Glenn’s ear.

''She is most probably asking him to personally rescue Silvia who is bound to be married to him-'' Ash thought.

Like a confirmation, to Ash’s prediction, Glenn for a moment exposed an unpleasant expression.

Glenn, ever since he came to Ansrivan, has always maintained expression #1. So such changes must be really rare.

Anyway, Glenn after all is a loyal servant to the king.

"...Yes. Princess."

After he respectfully bowed… His normal poker face returned.

Ash of course does not agree with that absurd marriage but now is not the time to protest.

"Hey, Eco, can we make a deal?"

"Why?"

Ash stood next to Eco and quietly whispered.

Since the other party possessed Empire made bombs then countermeasures must be prepared in advance.

"...Can you do it Eco?"

Just as Ash expected, after listening to his combat strategy, Eco is puzzled.

"Huh? How do I know whether I can do it or not?"

"No. You can do it."

Ash with confidence smile at Eco.

"...?"

Eco simply did not expect that Ash would smile at this time and she fell into a confused silence.

"Remember the last time we fought the Necromancia? At least this opponent is a human. No matter what, it won’t be as difficult as last time."

"Well... perhaps it is like that this time."

"I’ll be looking forward to your performance. Eco."

Then, Ash placed his hand lightly on Eco’s shoulder.

"I-I know. But I’ve a condition––

“Crepes right? After everything is dealt with… I’ll bring you back to look for the stall."

Eco slightly lift her neck and looked up at Ash.

"...You still remember?"

"Of course I remember. Because you're my Pal."

''"W- Why does Ash even have this type of aura around him...!"''

Even when Eco angrily turned her face to the side… Her ears were still all red.

===Part 9===
After alighting from Silvanus Ash passed through the evacuated St Durham Square and moved towards St Valeria’s Church.

On the way there, Ash suddenly remembers the tie clip.

This was given to him by the communication officer before departing.

Inside The tie clip, even though it looks ordinary, is a small piece of Bright-Dragon-Crystal and it will send any sound it received back to the Silvanus' navigation room.

To put it bluntly. It's an ultra-micro magic communication tool.

Only then Ash realised that this type of machinery existed in this world.

Who would think that he would actually take on such a chore? Ash cannot help but secretly cry.

But Rebecca’s analysis is very reasonable; He cannot deny that he is most suitable person to play this role. After all Ash as a student, is unknown to the public but at the same time he has the same combat ability as an Ark-Dragner.

''"Forget it. Anyway. Boats eventually straighten when they reach the docks."''<ref>It means just to 'follow the flow'.</ref>

After he finished thinking, he thrust his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

He maintained his speed and continued to walked forward.

Rebecca and Glenn should now have departed towards the church through the underground tunnels.

Just when Ash is 20 meters from the main entrance of the church––

''-Shoo!''

Beside his ears, a whizzing sharp sound is heard and the stone on the ground is followed by a "''pop''!" strange sound.

"...?"

Only after a full few seconds does Ash realised that someone was shooting at him!

''"Are they the ones who fired the shot...!"''

At the second floor church window the are two snipers. They were both armed with weapons that he suspected to be Empire-made sniper rifles.

''Is Avdocha working with the Empire’s army? Or, are they using what they recover from their fights with the Empire...?''

Let's put the origin of the weapons aside; the shooting just now is clearly a warning. If the sniper had the intention to kill, that shot probably would have killed Ash.

After realizing he is one step away from death, Ash gave a cold sweat. But at this time he cannot retreat.

Because Silvia is a hostage being held inside the church––

''"Do not be afraid...Eco is protecting me."''

After Ash pumped himself up, he shouted toward the sniper:

"I’m Ash Blake and I’m here on behalf of the Student Council! Please let me in to negotiate with you!"

Even Ash does not think he sounds convincing but the ‘Student Council’ in this academy town holds a great position.

Since Avdocha is one of the leading activists she should know about this background knowledge.

"......"

They didn’t respond. However. One of the snipers disappeared from the window. From a positive perspective Ash hopes that they are afraid of the student council.

''"Well... How are they going to make their move?"''

Ash, hands in his pocket, patiently waited for the outcome.

After a few minutes a heavy sound is heard–– "''Crack''..." The door slowly opened.

===Part 10===
Once he passed through the door, Ash was soon surrounded by three masked soldiers.

After checking his items he is led to the altar.

Fortunately. The soldiers didn't notice the tie clip and Ash is secretly relieved.

"Oh... So, kid, you're the negotiator?"

In front of the altar Avdocha, riding on the back of the basilisk, looked down at Ash.

Although Avdocha called him a kid… Doesn’t she think that her appearance looks a lot more childish? But, at this time, Ash shouldn’t correct her.

"I am the student council representative for General Affairs. Ash Blake."

While declaring his name, at the same time, Ash quietly observed the entire scene.

A half-naked Jessica was still tied to the altar’s wing cross.

Because she is not moving Ash thinks that she is dead. However. With a closer look there is still a sign of breathing in her chest. It seems that she just lost consciousness.

The red text written on her belly is more shocking than what is seen through the screen.

On the other hand… The hostages lined along the side walls were quiet.

Ash found Silvia in a corner, thanks to the eye-catching academy uniform, Ash is able to find her.

"...!"

With a stunned look Silvia stares at the Ash.

Ash nodded slightly for Silvia to be at ease and moves his sight back to Avdocha.

"General affairs? It seems that I’m looked down upon."

"Even if our president personally came to negotiate… would you even let her in? You should already know that our president is an Ark-Dragner?"

Avdocha laughed.

“Hehe... You talk too much. Say… What you want to negotiate about? Our request is only a simple one; It's Veronica’s head. As long as you obediently hand over her head I’ll immediately release all the hostages. If not we will blow up the church. Things are just that simple. Are they not?"

"You really think we will accept such a request? She is the 'Ironblood Valkyrie'. If desperate enough that person would not hesitate to use the main cannon of Silvanus to blow this church, together with all the hostages, into ashes."

Once Ash blurted that out the hostages immediately began to become restless.

"What did you say?"

"Does Veronica-sama intend to do nothing about us...!"

"Disregard for human life!"

Avdocha cold sight shot through the panicked hostages.

"Silence!" With a loud sound enough to shake the earth.

Everyone kept quiet instantly.

"Is the purpose of this trip is to make the hostages panic? I’ve never seen such a foolish negotiator."

"I was just declaring the truth. If you continue to delay… you will all lose your lives in vain!"

"Do you think this threat will be effective?"

"I don't think so. I've heard a lot about what you have done... That’s why I do not understand why would you do such things?"

Avdocha did not directly answer the questions. She just change the subject.

"So be it... I’ll tell you about my past."

"What did you say?"

The unexpectedly development cause Ash to be caught unprepared.

"In fact. We have been looking for my sister that has disappeared for quite a long time."

"Sister?"

"Yeah, but, I still do not know whether she is alive or not. It's because of the mountain disputes that caused our separation."

Is she trying to arouse the sympathy of the people? Or that she has some other purposes?

"... What happened after that?"

Ash tried to maintain a sound-calm-look while silently urging her to continue.

"What I want to say is this. Talking about this... I heard that Veronica has three sisters. I would like to let her feel the pain of being separated from her sisters."

Ash feels that he has goosebumps.

''Damn. This situation is very bad.''

Ash finally understands why Avdocha deliberately brought up the sister topic.

Because she wanted Veronica to also taste the same bitter feeling.

Avdocha is not likely to let Silvia off litely once she is exposed.

Unfortunately, there are no signs that Rebecca and Glenn are about to break into the church.

''- Are you alright Eco...?''

With a desperate feeling Ash focus his attention on his left arm’s ‘Seikoku’.

Through this 'Seikoku' Eco and Ash are able to communicate.

''- Eco... Can you hear me?''

Eco does not respond.

===Part 11===
--- Dragon Workshop ---

This is but a space used by dragons to create their works. Even though Eco only has some knowledge about this space there is no doubt that this place is different from the real world.

If the real world is defined as the physical world, then this can be compared to the spiritual world. Since they are not bound to the body anymore they can imagine freely. With some effort, flying to the sky is not a problem-

Once Ash entered the church, Eco sent her spirit to the Dragon Workshop. Her true body is protected in Silvanus's navigation room so she does not need to worry about the safety of her body.

The floor is paved with checkerboard like white and black square tiles.

On the wall, there are many works left behind by her ancestors and were hanging there without any order. Just like a museum of black and white.

"Welcome to the Dragon Workshop."

As usual. The woman called Navi comes forward to meet Eco.

"You again..."

Eco with a bored look stared at Navi.

Frankly. Eco is not good at dealing with her.

Today Navi is wearing a dark red dress and sitting on an antique chair.

When I grow up. Will I become like her? Eco hated to look at her. Even her horns are different from Eco's as both of them are sharp and pointed.

"Isn't this only the second time we've met? How could that slow pace, of the two of us meeting, make you feel tired?"

"Hmph! I don't even want to come to this place!"

Eco impatiently talks back to Navi’s teasing.

''Sure enough. I have this headache whenever I meet this woman.'' Eco fretted.

"Do you not have even a little desire to create? As I have told you; Dragons are born craftsman. Do you really not want to help him––Ash Blake––create an original Ark? "

Eco’s cheeks suddenly felt hot.

"D-Don’t joke around, why would I want to help that guy...!"

"Well… I think he is a very great guy! Since 'every dragon would surrender to him' he is also very mysterious. You too… Quickly grow into your 'true form' and let him ride on you...Then you may be addicted to that feeling."

''“'True Form'?”''

Eco suddenly feel uneasy.

"What do you mean? In other words… My current form... Is just a deception? In the end… Why was I born in the human form?"

A flirtatious smile emerged on Navi’s face.

"Because the human form is also the real you."

"...?"

"But you are eventually a dragon and also Ash Blake’s Pal. I hope that you can soon be'' 'awakened' ''."

"Weird. Somehow every time you talk… I feel a fire emerging in my belly!"

"Hehe... Sorry. I seem to like to tease you. Back to the topic. You are here in order to complete your mission… Are you not?"

"Hmm... Yeah. That guy asked me to prepare a suitable Ark against the Empire-made bomb."

"He intends to use the power of magic against machinery? Well… Here we go."

Although she is very unhappy with Navi’s long-winded behaviour… Conditions do not allow her to continue to waste her time in useless dialogue. So Eco closed her eyes and summoned the large number of designs left behind by her ancestors.

The total number of these designs is well over a thousand.

What Eco can do now, is to extract the parts which are suitable for Ash and re-build it into a new Ark suitable to go against the Empire-made bomb.

Although it is only an 'extract and re-build' it will still consume a huge amount of magic.

It will cause a huge burden on the young dragon Eco.

Even so. For Ash, who is in the enemy’s den, and also for her favorite crepes, Eco can only try… -

===Part 12===
Anya, who was mixed into the crowd, noticed something uniqe and her eyes widened while her thoughts went rambling on.

''- That guy-!''

''The ‘Silver Knight’ who successfully controlled the Necromancia-''

''The one who has potential to become Milgauss' enemy in the future-''

''This guy not only came into the church as a negotiator but he also revealed his own name.''

''"The student’s Council’s representative for General Affairs-Ash Blake is it...? I’ll remember your name."''

Even when out of nowhere she was caught in Avdocha’s terrorist act, which caused her to fall into despair, but it was also a blessing in disguise because now she knew Ash’s name without putting in any effort.

The only thing is, she has to leave this church alive, otherwise there is no meaning behind this. Not only each time the bell rings, they will kill a hostage… Veronica is also outside aiming the Silvanus' main cannon here.

So the first task is to get out of this dangerous place alive.

Once any event that is not expected by Avdocha happens it's simple for her to escape.

In order to grasp this opportunity she must make herself ready......

"Chaa... ♪"

The thing is… Anya is now carrying a baby.

––She's the ‘Ironblood Valkyrie’. If desperate enough she wouldn't hesitate to use the Silvanus' main cannon and turn this whole church together with the hostages into ashes.

After hearing Ash’s announcement the mother, now laying beside her, was so scared that she lost consciousness.

Fortunately Anya had good reflexes and she managed to grab the baby, and narrowly avoided the disaster of the baby bursting into tears. The problem now is that the situation is still at a critical point.

''"What can I do......"''

After Anya muttered with a sigh, her chest suddenly felt numb and almost straightened her body.

It turned out that the baby stretched its arms to reach out and touch Anya's breast.

''––M-My breast. Even Milgauss-sama had never touched them before!''

The baby is probably hungry and wants to drink milk. Anya naturally cannot produce any milk, and the baby's mother is still unconscious.

''- What is your mom doing! How could this be possible just because she lived in the peaceful days for too long!''

At the same time Anya is cursing in the bottom of her heart, the baby starts to fondle her breast.

All of a sudden it squeezes it with its hands, and the next moment it rubs them with its face.

Compare to its mother’s breasts Anya’s are a lot smaller. Maybe the baby is troubled with the difference between the two?

Finally, through the clothing, the baby actually bites Anya’s nipples.

"...... Ah!"

Under the strange sensation… Anya came out with a weird noise.

This voice causes her to blush with shame.

"Don’t you dare ask for too much!"

Anya quietly scolded it and forces the baby away from her chest.

Unexpectedly, the baby turns sour...

"Woo Woo ... ''hick…'' ... Waaaaaa!"

It suddenly burst into tears.

Anya looks ashen, even when she tries to please the baby, but it is a complete failure. She can’t be blamed for this because she has never taken care of a child

''- Damn...... if Avdocha......''

However, in only five seconds, Anya’s worries have become reality.

"So noisy...... Can’t a mother of the Knight country discipline her child properly?"

Anya, still hidden in the crowd, feels her whole body stiffening instantly.

"Since it's too noisy… why don’t you release the women and children?"

The boy named Ash steps forward to help, but Avdocha just laughed him off.

"How can I? Moreover. The first bell is going to ring soon. I have been always punctual; so let’s just choose the baby as a sacrifice."

"Are you kidding? Are you even human? It is just an innocent baby!"

"Do you think there is time to care about the age of every opponent on the battlefield? If you are careless, it isn't surprising, there will be a day that you will be killed by a five year old kid!"

"Even if it is like that––”

As if to prevent Ash from saying anything the basilisk gave a ferocious deep rumbling growl.

"Grrrr......"

Once Avdocha heard the growl she laughs, and as if answering back…

"Hmm. Is it so…."

"What's so funny?"

"Hehe... It says that baby is just enough to wet the teeth. Well then… Bring me the mother and her child!"

After Avdocha gave the order two masks soldiers immediately take action.

''––I-It can’t be!'' Anya is horrified.

Avdocha actually wanted to feed the wing lizard with her and the baby......

One step, two steps. The soldiers move through the crowd and are coming nearer.

Since their expressions cannot be seen under the mask, many people shudder.

“Uuu..."<ref>Voice of being scared.</ref> The crowd moans.

Anya is scared and begins to shed tears.

Even though Anya has cheated death a few times, and is a veteran, she still can't withstand Avdocha’s heavy pressure. Her mind instantly turns blank.

The soldiers are closer now.

''"I can’t be saved anymore...!"''

Just when Anya gives up hope––

"Hold on!"

A loud voice echoed in the church, someone came forward to stand in front of Anya.

The first thing that emerged in Anya’s eyes is a dazzling golden hair.

The person in the dragon riding academy’s uniform protected Anya and the baby and declared to Avdocha:

"I am Lautreamont Royal Knight’s family fourth Princes-Silvia. I request, as a member of the royal family, for you to immediately release the mother and her child!"

===Part 13===
The voice in the church, through the magic communicator in Max’s hand, can be heard in the airship Silvanus' navigation room

『 "I am Lautreamont Royal Knight’s family fourth Princes-Silvia. I request as a member of the royal family for you to immediately release the mother and its child!"』

The moment Silvia exposed her own identity… Max became dumbstruck.

"What the hell is Her Royal Highness doing...?!"

Isn't she inverting the root and branch<ref>Proverb.</ref>? As a result, it is essentially giving Avdocha the trump card.

"Hmph. That idiot..."

Veronica muttered, but she didn’t show an unhappy expression.

On the other hand, it looks like she is smiling.

===Part 14===
''"That's our country’s Princess for you!"'' Silvia, who took the initiative to expose her own name, of course surprised Ash. Though in his heart he had other thoughts.

Because in this case, in order to save the mother and her child, unless Silvia came forward, there would be no other way.

"Hmm... Why bother? If you had kept quiet… Then you might not have been noticed."

Avdocha controlled the basilisk’s reins and approached Silvia.

"I-I am a Princess! How can I sit quietly and watch my people be killed!"

"Hehe...... How appealing, but how come your body is shaking like that?"

"This is because my fighting spirit is trembling!"

Even when she verbally didn't admit defeat, Ash could see that Silvia is obviously trying to be brave.

"Is that so. Let me see how brave you are?"

Avdocha's face gave a dark smile while her hand stretched out signaling her underlings to act. The underling pulled out a shamshir and respectfully handed it to Avdocha.

"Stop!"

Ash wanted to rush out to protect Sylvia, but was stopped by Avdocha’s underlings and is held from behind.

"You idiots! Let me go!"

No matter how hard Ash struggles the soldiers didn’t give the slightest stir. Even the 'School’s number one problem child' is no match for a veteran soldier.

"Hehe...... You have good luck because your location is just right at the VIP’s seat.”

Avdocha said that with a grin, and rode her basilisk as it slowly moved forward.

The distance to Silvia is gradually shortened.

Finally, in front of Silvia, the basilisk used its tongue to lick at Silva’s face.

"...Eww!" Even Silvia could barely hold back her screams.

Though apparently she has long been scared out of her wits.

“Look this way Silvia!” Avodcha gave a thunderous shout.

Perhaps she is already prepared as Silvia opened her arms to both sides.

Then. She makes a declaration:

"To die like a knight...... is what I wish for!"

"I admire your guts!"

Avdocha lifted the shamshir.

"Stop––!"

Ash’s scream cannot stop the merciless blade.

''-Shaa!'' As the blade passed through the air.

Killed.

Silvia was killed.

Ash lost hope.

===Part 15===
"...?"

Silvia is still standing.

There is no blood on her body.

The incredible thing is… Silvia did not even feel the pain.

The next moment–– Silvia found out that the tight uniform is no longer binding her.

Pieces of cloths like snowflakes are dancing in the air.

Silvia felt seriously humiliated.

''"...Why is it always like this!"''

Avdocha didn’t slash at Silva’s flesh nor bones–– but... .

Only her clothes, like an apple skin, are peeled off, and her almost naked body lay exposed.

Coincidentally. The same thing was recently done by Veronica.

Her body, which is only covered with some clothes and underwear fragments, displays an almost naked type of half-nakedness.

Silvia covers her chest with both hands, squatted in place and huddled into a ball. She knew Avdocha’s sight is focused right on her bare skin.

"Princess! Didn’t you desire to die like a knight? Where is your previous pride? You have just been exposed naked to the public, yet you change back to what ordinary women and children do? I almost threw up! You don’t have the right to become a knight! And. It is not worthy for me to kill you! "

"I... I...!"

Being looked down by Avdocha from the very start, Silvia’s emotions were gradually coming to a boil.

At the same time, she is trembling more than ever.

But it is not because of fear that she is trembling. She is trembling because she is full of fighting spirit.

''"-... This woman was right. What do I have to feel ashamed about? This is no different from any ordinary woman or child? And I even dare to call myself a Knight...... It will just make people laugh! Although I do feel regret… I just need to admit it. I don’t have sufficient awareness. No wonder anee-ue scolds me......!"''

''"––Be aware of yourself… Silvia Lautreamont! What’s my aim? An excellent knight? That is indeed one of my goals in the past. But I was asking too little from myself. Have to think quickly. I'm Silvia Lautreamont! What is the only realm that I can reach? To show her the future that only I can have!"''

At that moment… Silvia's mind received God's enlightenment and she suddenly found her answer.

"Phew... Avdocha. I'll have to thank you."

Ash was shocked when Silvia's face suddenly reached a happy expression.

Even Avdocha, who had already turned her back on Silvia, was surprised.

"Are you mad?"

Avdocha ridiculed and gave a laugh.

Silvia covered her chest with her hand and gracefully stood up from the ground.

"Princess ......?"

Ash wants to avert his eyes from Silvia's naked body but they refused to move.

It is not because he has any indecent thoughts.

It is because of a bright shining glow that made him reluctant to avert his sight.

Avdocha and her subordinates, as well as the rest of the hostages, are like Ash. Everyone's eyes are watching Silvia.

"Avdocha. You are the one who made me aware of how weak I am and what lack of awareness I have."

“So? I’m only speaking based on the truth."

“However. I never before noticed such obvious things. It is a real shame to say so... However. '''I have been reborn!''' The past me is already killed by your sword! The new Silvia is now reborn! "

"Oh... I'd like to ask to ask. What can a reborn Silvia do?"

Avdocha look at her fiercely.

The basilisk gave a frightening breath.

Even so. Silvia did not budge.

"I am the woman who is going to become the Paladin!"<ref>King of the Knight country.</ref>
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p233.jpg|thumb|I am the woman who is going to become the Paladin!]]

Silvia’s declaration echoed in the church loudly.

"Hee… hee… haha! Even I didn’t expect this answer... You want to become the Paladin? What nonsense! So, in order to achieve your goals, you have to try to break through this dilemma. Well. What are you gonna do?"

Unexpectedly, Silvia laughed.

"Nothing. I had said that I’m gonna become the Paladin! There are people supporting me from behind and I also have anee-ue as my family. I just need to believe in them and wait for the 'upcoming moment'!"

"Haha. Don’t you think that before before something like that happens, I can take your life away so easily?"

"If I die at your hands… It only means that I’m just so-so."

Just when Silvia heroically makes the declaration––

There is a terrible shake and just then, in a surge of raging magic, a hole is neatly cut through the floor of the church.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Ash!"

Equipped in their Arks Rebecca and Glenn jump out from the large, newly created hole in the floor.

“––Enemy ambush!” Avdocha’s men shouted.

In the blink of an eye the soldiers move into formation and attack Rebecca and Glenn. The one who is holding Ash is no exception.

"Appear! The certain hit magic spear! Gáe Bolg!"

Right after Rebecca summoned her magic spear Glenn follows by summoning his own Ark-Dragner’s personal Ark-weapon.

"Appear! The lightning speed magic sword! Caladbolg!"

Ash’s eyes widened.

''"That's Glenn’s personal Ark-weapon......!"''

The magic sword Caladbolg is a giant sword with its length comparable to Glenn’s height. Glenn, without much effort, swings the sword just like an image of lightning speed. No wonder he is Veronica’s escort’s captain.

"Hmph...... An unsightly person!"

Even as she curses them Avdocha is still able to smile. Ash cannot understand how she manages to stay calm.

At this time… Avdocha suddenly jumped off the back of the basilisk and rushes toward the back of the altar.

"Is she...!"

Ash, who realised what she's going to do, clenches his teeth. Even when he wants to continue chasing, the basilisk blocks his way.

The basilisk's eyeballs, as it manuvers in the way, rotate and continue to stare at Ash.

"Hehehe. Don’t forget I still have the bombs. It is your loss."

Avdocha at the back of the altar proudly laughs.

The reinforcements, Rebecca and Glenn, are still fighting the enemy soldiers. As worthy of the people of the mountains they successfully pin down the Ark-Dragners.

Of course,if Rebecca and Glenn show their true ability, in the blink of an eye they would be the winners. However, if they don’t hold themselves back, they will not only kill their opponents but all the hosteges too. Even the whole church will be destroyed!

''-What am I going to do?'' Ash was in a dillema.

If the stalemate continues… Then Avdocha is going to press the button. No, before that, he has to deal with the basilisk or else he can’t get himself close to the altar.

The problem is that, for an unarmed human to win against a basilisk, it is indeed a fantasy.

''"Shoo......"''

In that instant. The basilisk issued terrible breath and started stomping around.

It moves its limbs with high-speed and, like gliding on the ground, it rushes towards Ash.

"Ha…?’’

Its speed surprised Ash. Although he is conscious about it his two legs refused to move. Ash is jinxed to become a statue as his whole body involuntarily stiffened.

"Uwaaaa!"

Ash helplessly screams.

The basilisk is right in front of him opening it's mouth.

In his mind there is a clear image of him getting bitten into pieces and broken into two main portions.

''"My God ...!"''

Silvia quickly covered her eyes. She did not have the courage to face the scene of Ash being shredded by the beast.

''"I... How could I be so weak? Where did I get the idea of becoming a Paladin......!"''

Silvia slumped to her knees.

''"Sniff"''...... Her tears fell off from her eyes onto the stone floor which was gradually becoming wet.

At this time. "Oh... A divine light...!" A hostage with a praising tone mutters.

And the others around him are also affected.

"...?"

Silvia wipes off her tears and raises her head.

A pale white light fills her entire field of vision.

After a short moment the light can no longer be seen, and there is a hot surge emerging from Silvia’s chest.

“Ash......!”

Equipped in the Ark Ash, with one hand, held up the basilisk’s upper jaw.

===Part 16===
Ouch. The ‘Seikoku’ on his left hand is so hot.

His consciousness is almost swept away by the powerful magic.

''『 "- Sorry for the long wait."』''

Eco's voice finally can be heard in his mind.

''"It's so scary... Do you know that I was nearly eaten by this thing."''

Ash, who now can feel the Ark’s magic, smiled brashly.

He looked down to re-examine his own body and he sees a set of blue colour Ark armour which made him remember Silvia's eyes.

''"Thank you. Eco."''

''『"D-Don’t need to thank me... I'm not doing it in order to help you. It's for the crepes okay!"』''

Eco's cheeks are bright red.

"How is this possible? You are also an Ark-Dragner? How did we miss this information-?"

While witnessing the dazzling Ark, with a look of surprise, Avdocha’s almond eyes widen.

"My Pal is different from the others!" Ash shouts!

At the same time Ash lightly pushes the basilisk’s chin. The basilisk is stunned by Ash as its previous imposing attitude has vanished.

"You are very obedient. Well. The beast seems to be very sensitive to stronger opponents."

While Ash steps forward, the basilisk obediently steps back.

"I’m stronger than you! If you are from the Asia’s and if you have some intelligence, Quickly be on your knees!"

Frighten by Ash’s voice, at first it is anxious to know what to do, then letting out a scream it knelt down.

"That's right."

Ash gently sat on its back.

"Ah! What are you going to do with Kuu-chan!"

Avdocha screams.

“Kuu-chan? Even when you look so scary, I didn’t think that you had such a cute name."

Ash gave a wry laugh. Kuu seems embarrassed and lightly twists its body.

"It seems that the situation has reversed. Avdocha. Let’s go Kuu!"

Being kicked by Ash Kuu gave out a roar and starts running towards the altar.

"Hey, Hey, Kuu-chan! I’m your master!"

Avdocha, who is panicked, simply looks like a child.

While sitting on Kuu’s back, Ash is searching for the information regarding his Ark-weapon.

Soon… A strange weapon design is spread out in his mind.

After checking the properties and the additional effect of the weapon Ash gave a satisfied smile.

Eco managed to do what Ash proposed.

Kuu, like an Asia, kept on running forward.

The distance to the altar quickly narrows.

Avdocha’s face also turns pale.

"Appear!...... The absolute Zero Holy gun––"

Under Ash’s summons, an extremely long gun emerges out of thin air.

Its shape is similar to the Empire made sniper rifle and yet also is like a spear.

The aim is locked on the altar.

While pulling the bolt. '' 'Kacha' '' At the same time as the metal sounded off, the magic ammunition was loaded into the chamber.

"Brionac!" Ash yelled while pressing the trigger.

A magic bullet shot out from the muzzle followed by a loud sound. The heavy bullet shell casing is ejected with a ''‘Clang’''. It then hits the ground and rolls.

"Uuu ...!"

The shot created a powerful recoil which almost caused Ash to fall from Kuu’s back, but fortunately he is in his blue Ark and stays firm in the saddle.

At the same time the magic bullet is shooting towards the altar, a pale blue flash can be seen.

“Kuu. Retreat!”

Kuu, listening to Ash's order and quickly turns around, runs in the direction opposite of the altar.

"What!"

Avdocha cried out in dismay.

After the freezing magic was launched… Shining ice crystals can be seen coaleasing.

The ice crystals gradually increase in size and quickly engulfed the entire altar together with the bombs.

"A-Avdocha-sama!"

Not only that… Avdocha’s men, while being caught up in the effect, are also mercilessly frozen..

"Finally......!"

Ash smiled.

To fight, against Empire made bombs, experts are required. However, even though Knight Country and the Kingdom had many exiled scientists from the Empire, the problem is not enough time to recruit, train and deploy them.

If that being the case… It is better to risk trying to use the oracle’s power for freezing the bombs to the point they are disabled. This is Ash's basic strategy.

Ash asked Eco to produce an Ark with ice properties.

Needless to say… This idea is obtained when he was in the Silvanus' lounge reading the novel ‘The Sky Dragon Knight Chronicles'. The protagonist in the series ‘Silver Knight’ uses the freezing magic to interrupt the operation of the machine.

Of course Ash can’t guarantee the actual effect in real life. He can only gamble––at least at this stage the bombs that have become ice have ceased functioning.

"W-Wait a minute! I-......"

Avdocha was barely able to move from the relatively wide range of the ice gun's frozen effect. In the end… She does not escape the inglorious fate of becoming an ice statue.

What he needed to be worried about was that before she became completely frozen, Avdocha seemed to have something to say. But, in short, the St Valeria’s church incident has ended.

===Part 17===
Up to a hundred hostages were released.

Avdocha and her men, who had become ice statues, were carried out with the help of the civil engineers. Those veteran soldiers, in the end, had become ice and were dragged off by the Asias on a cart. Only the word pitiful can be used to describe them.

Since Kuu was Avdocha’s pet it was also taken away by the escorts. Ash silently prays in hope that Veronica will treat it well.

More importantly, he now needs to complete the task that is at hand.

Even though he knows his actions are wrong, Ash still climbs up the icy altar and starts to rescue Jessica who is tied to the winged cross.

Fortunately the freezing magic did not spread to Jessica. Just that, in order to avoid looking at her naked skin while trying to save her, his job is quite difficult.

When Ash finally cut the rope and with both hands carried Jessica -

"Nn ..."

Jessica in Ash’s arms slowly opened her eyes.

Right after she found out that Ash is carrying her. Her eyes widen.

"Y-You...... You are Ash Blake? Why...... Are you in an Ark...?"

"Huh? Err… No, this is..."

Ash regretted his mistake.

He simply did not think that Jessica would regain her consciousness so soon.

Ash does not know how to remove the Ark. So before Eco’s magic runs out, he can only continue wearing it.

Clearly there is no way to continue to hide the truth anymore, Ash can only give an excuse to explain it.

"... Yeah. The 'Silver Knight' is me. It is just that today my Ark is not silver in colour."

After Ash honestly confesses, Jessica’s cheeks turn red.

"To use ice attacks against those mechanical bombs is simply ‘Silver Knight’ himself! Waa-wah. Ash-sama!"

"Sama?"

Ash is stunned. Jessica eyes are now watery.

Moreover. Jessica is only wearing her underwear. The cleavage made by her breasts can be clearly seen. Even under such occasions, Ash cannot help but being seduced. In front of the beauty that is Jessica, even the blue Ark's strength cannot come in handy.

"I have been determined for a long time, that my first time will be at the church altar."

"What lies! It's obvious that you had just thought about it!"

"I beg you, Ash-sama, please give me your sperm now...!"

Somehow, dispite being carried, Jessica really began to take off her underwear on the spot. The first thing she actually takes off is her panties instead of her bra.

"Your order of taking off your underwear is too strange, or it should be said, who even asked you to take them off!"

Ash quickly held Jessica's hands to stop her.

"Do not worry."

Jessica sexy lower abdomen is slowly exposed. Eventually, even the following parts are––

"Stop! This is too casual!"

"I'm ready, Ash-sama... Her goddess St Valeria is also staring at us."

"Her goddess Valeria is a protector of law! We will be arrested!"

"Hee hee... I didn’t think that you were so introverted."

Jessica's sweet smell is disturbing Ash.

"Uuh!"

Ash inexplicably feels dizzy; and almost falls down from the altar together with Jessica.

At this time, Rebecca speaks to Ash from behind.

"Hey, Ash! Hand her to me, you go and take care of Silvia."

Rebecca had long removed her Ark and is helping the escorts to do their tasks. She should have been very busy. However she probably saw that Ash is in trouble and could not bear just being a bystander.

“Sorry to trouble you Rebecca-san."

Ash hands Jessica to Rebecca.

"Ah, ahh, Ash-sama, please stay!"

"S-Sorry... See you next time!"

Ash put Jessica’s regretful sounds aside and ran to look for Silvia.

Along the way the Ark breaks into sparkling fragments.

===Part 18===
Silvia is standing against the wall.

Her body is wrapped in blankets given to her by the escorts. Her naked body, that has been exposed not long ago, is now wrapped up tightly. The thing is, her curves can still be seen. Ash, after putting in some effort to not focus on those curves, spoke to Silvia.

"Yo Princess. Err... Are you okay?"

Ash, suddenly becoming lost, can only squeeze out these few words. It's a little embarrassing.

"Ahh. I’m not injured...... You saved me again."

"My performance is nothing much, but rather... Princess you are so cool."

"Y-You... What are you talking about!”

Silvia, who is now blushing, probably has lost all her strength, and she unsurprisingly suddenly stumbles.

"... Careful!"

Ash immediately reached out, and caught Silvia's body.

But only after the blanket, wrapped around Silvia’s body, sliped off and fell to the ground.

"A-Are you alright?"

Ash looked at the place above her neck and timidly asked.

He instantly thought that he would not escape her iron fist, but for some reason Silvia didn't show her usual angry expression. Ash then sets her down on her feet.

"S-Sorry. That…. My waist ... I just suddenly..."

Silvia's eyes filled with tears as she quickly picks up the blanket and wraps herself.

If Ash did not catch her in time she would probably have fallen.

"Otherwise... I’ll give you a piggyback."

"Huh? But..."

"You don’t have to feel shy."

Ash smiled back, turned around, and gently lifted Silvia.

Silvia felt embarrassed at the start, but shortly after that she just held onto Ash’s neck.

At that moment… Ash felt that Silvia breasts, pressing on his back, change their shape.

"...huh!"

"What’s wrong. Ash?"

"N-Nothing ..."

Ash blushes while being unexpectedly stimulated, and at the same time continues his pace.

===Part 19===
On her way to the magicship Silvanus while being piggybacked by Ash.

"...?"

Silvia is suddenly struck with an incredible feeling.

''- Why is this? Being piggybacked by Ash… Somehow I miss this feeling... Am I familiar with this back...?''

This nostalgic atmosphere is so strong until Silvia can barely hold back her tears.

''The only thing is, the gentleness of Ash’s back is just too comfortable -''

Silvia, without realising, dozed off.

"Paladin ~ A. B. S. 1365.5 ~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 3

2015-08-22T15:59:54Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 3 - Veronica and Silvia */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 3 - Veronica and Silvia==
===Part 1===
As the magicship Silvanus arrived at Ansarivan-

Milgauss's, the Necromacia’s summoner, right-hand person Anya was stranded in Danebury. It was a commercial city just west of Ansarivan itself. At this time she was alone in one of the many buildings thinking deeply to herself.

Despite the words "Rosetta’s Business Firm” hanging on the door… it is actually the name of a fictional company. In other words… This is a secret base operated by Milgauss and the Zepharos Empire’s Intelligence Agency.

Basically, the interior had the taste of a business firm, the tables, chairs and bookcase being very neat and organised.

But presently there was only Anya in the room.

“'Silver Knight' ...?"

While browsing the data in her hand, Anya murmured and muttered.

Recently she has been diligently investigating the hero called 'Silver Knight'.

For Milgauss and Anya, the hero who defeated the Necromancia had turned into a threat.

The problem is that, surprisingly, there are only a few sightings and reports. Which causes the investigations to run into a bottleneck.

So far, the information related with the true identity of the 'Silver Knight' is still not yet known. After all, as the people who happen to be there were in chaos, such a result is not surprising.

The ones who have the most precise grasp of the situation, perhaps, are none-other than Milgauss and Anya who were witnesses to the scene of the incident.

As a result… What is presently and widely spoken may just be rumors, thus they couldn't find any valuable clues.

No. There's valuable information in Anya’s memories .

"That guy...... Since he participated in the dragon riding festival… This means that he is a student of the Academy. Right?"

It happens that, because of some difficulties, Anya was afraid to inform Milgauss of this.

If she did report this to him, it's like admitting her own mistake.

If the guy, whom she didn't kill, turned out to be the 'Silver Knight'....... This incident… No matter what, Anya will never tell anyone.

Anya stepped towards the window, staring blankly at the sky.

"Milgauss-sama..."

A few days before, Milgauss received a confidential letter issued by the Ministry of The Empire’s Intelligence.

Recorded in the letter was an order for him him to return to the Empire. The Intelligence Department should be very interested in the Necromancia.

"Oh yeah, I have to finish the report before Milgauss-sama comes back......"
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p113.jpg|thumb|Anya stepped towards the window… Staring blankly at the sky.]]

"It's not good! Something is very wrong, Shamara!"

One of the men suddenly broke into the room.

He has wheat-coloured skin and dark hair.

He is a typical Tantalos guy.

"How many times do you want me to remind you? I’m Now called Anya! Don't use that name to call me!"

“S-Sorry...... Anya.”

"It's Anya-sama."

"Yes,.. Anya-sama."

The teenager knelt for quite a while. On matters of what happened in the past, Anya is the leader of a Tantalos tribe. No matter how familiar he is to her, there is still hierarchy, otherwise it is impossible to rule the others.

"So then what happened that is wrong?"

"Th-That is the 'Ironblood Valkyrie' just came to visit Ansarivan, which has caused quite a stir."

"What?!"

Anya’s eyes widened.

'Ironblood Valkyrie'- The Lautreamont Knight Country’s first Princess. Princess Veronica. Her reputation has shaken the whole continent.

Veronica intervenes in much ethnic strife around the continent thus increasing the loss of and to various guerrilla forces.

This also includes many Tantalos fighters.

It is not exaggerating to say she is an enemy to all Tantalos.

"How long is Veronica expected to stay?"

"According to official sources. Five days......"

If she rushes there non-stop she will arrive at Ansarivan in three days. For Anya, who trained in the mountainous areas, it is but a slight distance. It has long been known that Ansarivan's defence is very weak and vulnerable. If you took a gamble… You might even have the opportunity to assassinate Veronica-sama herself. But… Anya quickly dispelled any such ideas.

Because she remembered Milgauss' command before he returned to the Empire.

''"- During the period when I am gone, you are to investigate clearly the ins and outs of the Ark-Dragner who defeated the Necromancia."''

Not just for Anya but for the Tantalos tribe too. It's all the same… Milgauss' command is supreme and not to be defied.

Milgauss had only ordered them to spy. Even if it is a godsend opportunity Anya must not recklessly attack Veronica.

“Uh... That... "

"What happened?"

Looking at the hesitant look of the teenager, Anya sensed something bad.

"The thing is...... Uh...... After hearing the name 'Ironblood Valkyrie'… The rest have left for Ansarivan.”

"What did you say?!"

Anya swung her long hair, knocking over the chair.

"The rest", that the guy was talking about, are the Tantalos who had followed Anya down from the mountains to assist Milgauss. They are also Anya’s subordinates.

"I, I have tried to stop them! But Valery, Micha, Sergi...... They didn’t listen to my advice."

"They are just too reckless!"

Since Milgauss returned to the Empire Anya let Valery rest. This is because she knows that those who are always careless are not fit for spying activities.

The rest, since they heard the name 'Veronica', got carried away by their emotions, Anya understood this.

The problem. Is that blindly provoking the Knight country is not a wise move.

The Zepharos Empire, even with their advanced Mechanical engineering and non-stop expansion of their armies over the past 50 years, does not have the strength that is on an equal footing with the Dragons.

They still have to bear with it.

At least untill the Necromancia had officially come in handy––

"I will immediately leave for Ansarivan!"

"Ehhh?! Anya... -sama also wants to join the assassination?"

"It is just the opposite. I have to stop those guys!"

Anya raised her head resolutely and she rushed out of the room.

===Part 2===
"It is not suitable for me...... Which is what I should say, unfortunately, it does suit me."

Ash, who was forcibly taken to the airship Silvanus, for the first time in his life had put on the attire of a butler.

His black tuxedo gives out an extra formal feeling, and there is a white bow tied at his neckline.

With the exception of his left hand as it is wrapped up in bandages like usual. It is better to say that he uses it as a small protest against Veronica. Rather than show her his 'Seikoku'.

“Ash-kun. Have you finished changing?"

A cheerful voice emerged from behind the door.

When Ash who froze in front of the mirror turned around, the owner of the voice opened the door and walked into the dressing room.

She is dressed in maid attire. Right after Veronica returned to the magicship she was given the responsibility of taking care of Ash.

Once he saw the maid’s cheerful smile Ash suddenly got an unbelievable feeling of Deja Vu.

"Ah yeah! Ash-kun! This attire suits you very well!"

"Even with such praise. I don’t know what’s so happy about it."

"Hu ~? Why? You are really handsome!"

The maid somehow let her foot slip and she fell.

"Careful!"

Ash rushed over, and even stretched out of his hand, but the helpless maid fell forward with greater force than expected and even Ash also lost his balance.

"Ouch!"

While being stimulated by the maid’s soft body parts, to the point he started blushing, the two of them fell to the ground together.

"It hurts...... It hurts....."

Ash, who was trying to get up from the ground, found out that his left hand is grabbing the maid's breast. Not only was he shocked, because her breast is not only soft, but it is also too big for him to hold it with one hand.

At the same time, a fragrant fruity smell entered his nose, Ash's cheeks suddenly became hot.

"S-Sorry!"

"No. No... It's entirely my fault..."

Ash quickly recovers from the ground and reaches out his hand to give the maid a lift. The maid, somehow quite adorably, blushed while she held his hand.

Only then, again, Ash faces the maid.

"Uhh. May I ask your name...?"

"I am Primrose Shelley. The servant of Silvanus. Please call me Prim… It sounds cuter."

The surname Shelley sounds familiar to Ash.

"I would like to ask...... Are you a relative of Cosette Shirley-san?"

"Ah!"

Prim suddenly exposed a cheerful smile. The two huge lumps of meat, with a "plop, plop", shook twice.

"Do you know Cosette-chan? She is my younger sister!"

"I see... You really look alike."

No wonder he previously had the feeling of Deja Vu.

The only thing is… Prim gives off a more matured feeling than Cosette. Especially her body, as he remembers the feeling in his palm just now, Ash’s mood became impetuous.

"Yeah, everybody says that, but...... I am not like Cosette-chan with her good working ability. I’m always clumsy."

After Prim blew her nose, with the hem of her apron, she wiped her tears.

"However, Ash-kun, you are my first kohai!<ref>Literally junior.</ref> I will make every effort to teach you!"

Seeing Prim’s fists full of fighting spirit, Ash awkwardly explains:

"You have misunderstood. I did not come here to work!"

"Err. Is that so?"

Prim is surprised for a moment.

"I am a student of the Dragon Riding Academy! It's just that the rude and unreasonable Princess brought me here by force......."

"So to say, are you by any chance...... A breeder?"

"Uuh... Basically I am."

''As an irregular.'' Ash didn't dare to admit it out loud.

"My God! I’ve been calling you 'Ash-kun'…… This is unforgivable! Please allow me to address you as 'Ash-sama' in the future! If you refuse my apology I will immediately commit suicide! "

"Ehhhhh!? Just call me whatever you want! Just don’t die!"

Ash desperately tried to appease her mood.

"... I had made a laughing stock of myself in front of you. Anyway. Why did Ash-sama become a butler in this airship?"

Prim’s simple question made Ash cannot help but sighed.

"I would also like to ask why..."

“––If you want to know… Then I'll generously tell you? "

The owner of the solemn voice from the doorway is none other than the culprit; Veronica!

As usual she is with her suit of armour, majestically standing in the doorway.

"Princess!"

Prim is shocked, but she still respectfully bows.

In contrast. Ash cannot help but burst out roaring:

"Not bad. I really wish that you will immediately tell me!"

"I'll tell you why–– Because of the fun."

Ash doubts his ears.

"I remember that I heard the word 'fun'...?"

“Otherwise I can also replace it with 'to pass time' if you don’t like it.”

Ash collapsed.

"B-Because of this reason...... the situation has turned out this way?"

"Exactly."

After replying coldly, Veronica looked at Prim.

“Prim, for the time being, make this kid your subordinate and educate him well. Understood?”

"Yes Princess!"

Turing her back against Prim, as if purposely creating some clashing sounds with her armour, Veronica left without even looking back.

“Wh-What is going to happen?”

While ignoring Ash's feelings Prim grabbed and held his hand-

"Alright, Ash-sama, let’s get to work!"

Triumphantly putting on a pose and running ahead of him––

"Hold on! That side has a wall!!"

"Huh?"

Turning a deaf ear to Ash’s warning Prim ran right into the wall.

===Part 3===
Sweeping, cleaning, cooking...... Ash, who followed Prim the whole time, reluctantly helped with the various chores within the ship.

Only that Prim is a lot clumsier than Ash thought. For example, she would even stumble and fall in an area without any obstacles, break a whole pile of plates, tip a bucket of water over in the corridor...... and many other embarrassing things.

Unconsciously, whenever Prim wanted to do anything––

"I’ll do it!" Ash would say.

Ash would complete it on her behalf.

They confused many people regarding who is the real senpai<ref>Literally senior.</ref>.

There is like a huge mountain of work that needs to be done. Until the sky had turned dark, and only then Ash realised that it was already nightfall.

According to Prim the ship is now in its rest state so typically, strictly speaking, there is less work. The workload during flight increases drastically.

This gigantic machine can actually carry dozens of crew and cargo during the flight–– Even now it is still difficult for Ash to believe it.

===Part 4===
Only after Veronica finished her dinner was Ash allowed to rest.

After receiving his meal in the kitchen, he entered the servant’s lounge. The unoccupied room surprised Ash a little bit.

"Well. It's also alright this way."

Ash found a place to sit down then started his meal.

The menu tonight is walnut bread, vegetable stewed duck, cabbage and corn salad. There is not much difference from eating this compared to the students’ restaurant.

The taste is not too bad, but it is not so good that someone will shed tears in appreciation.

Ash suddenly remembered an image of Veronica dining.

The dishes that Veronica ate are similar to his. It seems that, rather than the taste, she pays more attention to nutritional balance.

––The thought of eating made Ash miss Eco.

"Did Eco obediently eat...?"

Dragons basically eat five meals per day.

Even though Eco is born in the form of a delicate and charming girl she is no exception. For now Ash didn’t have any spare energy to take care of Eco, so he can only look forward to Cosette’s and Rebecca’s help.

After eating Ash looked around the lounge.

The bookshelf placed beside the wall has novels and manuals. Anyway, there is still time to rest, so Ash walks towards the bookshelf to look for books that he is interested in. In the end he found a title that arouses his curiosity.

"This is... 'The Sky Dragon Knight Chronicles'?"

The bookshelf has volumes one to nine of the series. The books seem to be very popular. The size of these books can be put into a bag and easily carried around, the cover illustration seemed chosen to prefer girls who are in their teens.

So… The handsome Dragon Knight on the illustration of the cover is that famous '''Silver Knight'''.

"Damn. It's all because of this novel."

Even though he is angry and has complained… Ash decided to read this one. Since he couldn’t find any other more interesting books, and at least it's better than none.

The protagonist Kane is an ordinary humble student in school, but after nightfall he becomes the Silver Knight to fight off evil. Alisha the heroine, on the other hand, is Kane's childhood friend. She usually thinks that the useless Kane is a good-for-nothing.

In the beginning of the story; The unfortunate Alisha is caught in a kidnapping case, later the heroic 'Silver Knight' appears and successfully saved her from out of the woods, and also captivating her thoughts.

Of course, she never knew that Kane was actually the same person as the 'Silver Knight'-

"Hmm ... I didn’t expect it to be quite interesting."

In the story, the efforts that Kane made in order to avoid his true identity from being revealed will make people cry. This made Ash think about himself.

In the second half of the story; Kane is in a bitter struggle with a mysterious dragon. The results are shocking, it seems that the dragon had been modified from its original physical body into a mechanical dragon with the Empire’s technology.

Facing such an abnormally strong enemy, how is Kane going to fight against it? ––Ash is attracted to the exciting plot and quickly flips the page. Later… Kane uses ice magic to freeze the dragon's control device, reducing the temperature low enough until its power supply malfunctions, forcing the device to cease function.

Therefore, the story ends happily.

"Well... It's also good to read some books occasionally."

Just when Ash intended to continue reading with the second volume–– "Ash-sama! It turns out that you are here!"

The badly bruised Prim rushed into the lounge.

"Prim-san? Anything? Why are you panicking like that?"

"Th-Th-The..... Her Royal Highness Princess has asked for you!"

Ash, with a surprised face, stood up.

"I just thought that I was finally free! So ... Where shall I go to?"

"That....." Prim seemed hesitant.

"That.....?"

“The location is the bathroom! I'll lead you there! "

"Hold on!...... What’s happening!?"

Why did he need to go to the bathroom? Ash sensed something bad.

"Come on, Ash-sama. The princess's command is not to be defied! Let’s depart!"

Prim pulled Ash’s arm and ran.

"Wait a minute, there's a wall!!"

"Uwa......"

A sound of "Bang" is heard, and there is now an additional wound on Prim’s body.

===Part 5===
"Come in, Ash."

Veronica’s grim voice came from the other side of the frosted glass.

"Her Royal Highness Princess has already allowed, so just walk in boldly."

Even though Prim gives him a nudge while smiling, Ash, no matter what, stood still.

Veronica is in the bathroom with her armour ''off''. This is most clearly evident by the outline of her body, shown on the frosted glass that is separating the bathroom and dressing room.

Needless to say… That outline is obviously naked.

"But... I'm a guy..."

"What are you procrastinating for? Do you want to be beheaded?"

Veronica’s voice came from behind the frosted glass. It would be no joke if he was arrested and beheaded in a place like this.

"Come this way, please."

There are already four maids waiting in the changing room.

"Hurry, hurry, Ash-sama! Quickly take off your clothes!"

Prim said to Ash from behind.

"Just wait for a moment! I'm not mentally prepared..."

“Ash-sama you are too naive! Once I resorted to the art of stripping, anyone will instantly become naked! Now-!"

"Uwaa! Prim-san why do you take off your clothes!"

With a busty breast in front, Ash’s body cannot help but stiffen.

"Ah. I made a mistake... Tee hee."

"How do you mistake your own clothes with another's?"

Even when Ash moves his sight away, he still could not help but comment.

"Hey! Prim. Could you please not intervene!"

The four maids push Prim aside and surround Ash.

“Sorry, Ash-sama, we are merely acting upon Her Royal Highness Princess’s orders!"

"Err... Can I take it off myself...?"

"Please submit obediently!"

Hands from all directions stretched out to seize Ash’s clothes. Because they are all women, even if Ash tried to resist, he cannot do so too roughly... Before Ash could make up his mind his tuxedo and shirt are stripped off and even his undergarments are cast aside.

"Urgh..."

After the bandage on his left hand is also removed mercilessly by the maids, Ash, completely naked, is taken into the bathroom.

===Part 6===
"Haa…"

Nestling in a corner of the wide bathtub, Ash sighed with a long deep breath.

Fortunately the royal’s special bathing agent turns the warm water from clear to cloudy white. Although the bathroom is saturated with the fragrance of flowers, so comfortable that you might fall asleep without realizing it, soaking in the warm water with Veronica only made the situation tense.

The only good news is that because of the big bathtub, he is able to keep a safe distance from Veronica. If they are too close it will be difficult not to pay attention to Veronica’s nude body.

Veronica, who cannot understand Ash’s thoughts, starts the conversation.

"Something wrong? You seem unhappy."

"Who do you think the culprit is..." Ash accuses.

"This is the bathroom, can’t you relax?"

"How can I!? Anyway, why are you so carefree? I heard that the 'Ironblood Valkyrie' made many enemies."

After hearing Ash’s teasing, Veronica didn’t even budge one bit.

"Foolish question. Do you still not yet realise that you are in Ansarivan’s most secure place?"

"Ah... I see."

The magicship Silvanus.

Equipped with cannons, thick armour, and the ability to take off as a refuge if it encounters danger. Not only that. The ship is also surrounded by seven dragoner escorts.

The guard captain Glenn is even an Ark-Dragner. The real reason Veronica didn’t stay in a downtown high class hotel is because she believes that there is no place safer than this ship.

At this time, through the frosted glass, a maid reports to Veronica:

“The Fourth Princess has just arrived.”

"The messenger has been gone for a long time...... Forget about it. Tell her to immediately come aboard to report in the bathroom. "

"Yes, Princess."

Upon receiving Veronica's instructions, the maid quickly disappeared.

“The fourth…”

Ash confusedly twisted his neck to one side.

Although he seems to have heard this wording before, but for the moment he couldn't remember who that was. Just when he started to get a bad feeling about it the glass door slides open, and the identity of the third person is revealed.

“E-Excuse me...... Anee-ue."

After hearing that voice Ash is dumbfounded.

"Princess?"

Silvia is standing in the doorway of the bathroom… Naked!

The phrase "The Fourth Princess” and Silvia's face are finally connected.

Even though his vision is blurred because of water vapor… The dazzling beauty of Silvia cannot be disguised or hidden merely by misty air.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p133.jpg|thumb|Even though his vision is blurred because of water vapor… The dazzling beauty of Silvia cannot be disguised or hidden merely by misty air.]]

"Wha...! That voice...... Is it Ash!?"

It appears that Silvia hadn't been notified that Ash is also present. Of course, this is also because she firmly believes that there are only women present in the bathroom.

Silvia’s body is not even covered with a towel.

"Wh-Why would you be in a place like this!?"

Quickly, after learning of Ash's presence, Silvia squatted down and huddled to herself.

"Well, well, Ash-sama. What a coincidence." Cosette appeared immediately after Silvia.

Obviously the situation is not right, but she looked calm and helped cover Silvia with a towel.

After Prim saw Cosette’s face she became happy.

"Ahh. Cosette!"

"Ah. Prim?"

Ash ignored the two sisters who are hugging each other without realizing the situation, and asked Veronica:

"How come…? Why is Princess here?"

"Is there anything to be surprised about? Is 'sisters bathing together' so illogical?"

“Uh...... There's nothing strange for sisters to bathe together. So, I shouldn’t bother the reunion of you two sisters. Now please excuse-”

"Don’t answer yourself so quickly. I'm allowing you to join."

Although it is said "allowed" verbally, but in truth it has the same meaning as an order "forbidden to leave". Ash felt that an invisible force had bound him hand and foot.

"Silvia. What are you so shy about? I don’t mind if you still haven't washed<ref>Japanese usually bathe and clean their body before they dip in a hot spring, communal bath, or something similar to this.</ref>. Quickly come and soak in this nice warm bath."

"I-I...... Understand."

Silvia wrapped a bath towel around her body and gingerly sat in the bathtub.

Probably she is very aware of Veronica because Silvia maintained a fairly wide distance. On the other hand she is sitting closer towards Ash.

"What are you afraid about? Sit a little closer." Prods Veronica.

"Y-Yes ..."

Silvia moved slightly closer. Even so, she is still three meters away from Veronica. She is now almost in the middle, according to her position, of Veronica and Ash.

Veronica, looking unhappy, did not pester Silvia further, changed the subject and got straight to the point:

"Silvia. I called you here to introduce you to a marriage."

"... What?" Silvia seems to not understand what she just heard.

All of a sudden, Ash also did not grasp the meaning of the word "marriage".

"You are already 16-years-old. In our country it's normal to be married at this age."

"T-The question is... According to this logic, Anee-ue you......”

"What did you say?"

"Eek……!"

Being stared at by Veronica's pair of eagle’s eyes, Silvia’s body trembled endlessly.

"I'm busy dealing with military affairs. But more than anyone else… I worry about the Knight’s Royal family. Do you realise? Since our brother Julius’s sentence, the royal family’s future has been hazy. Although I’m first in the line for the throne I am only interested in leading troops for war. I’m not fit to be king of a country."

"Anee-ue is not unsuitable..."

"I say this my own self, there couldn’t be anything that is wrong."

"However, besides you, there is Mirabel and Cassandra Anee-ue!" Silvia countered.

"Silvia. We're talking about you. This has nothing to do with either Mirabel or Cassandra or the both of them."

"How come..."

"Listen carefully Silvia; You need to give birth to a healthy child as soon as possible. You must not let the Royal family continue on without an heir."

"......!"

This type of talk made Silvia suddenly burst out red in the face.

Although he is only listening, Ash also cannot help but feel embarrassed.

"What are you talking about, Anee-ue!"

"If you do have any dissatisfactions… You should go to Julius’s grave and complain...... Wait. That guy doesn't even have his own grave. To think that he had actually lost his life for things that don’t make sense. If he was still alive......"

By mention of the name 'Prince Julius', Silvia couldn’t stop herself to argue on his behalf.

"Please do not say anything bad about onii-sama! He must've had his own reasons!"

Veronica looks pitifully towards Silvia.

"Hmm...... So to speak, I remember you used to be very close to Julius. Oh yeah, I want to help introduce you to a marriage, the person was Julius’s best friend."

Silvia’s eyes widen.

"Could it be...?"

"Yes, he's Glenn McGuire of our knights."

After hearing that name even Ash was shocked.

"What are you kidding about?"

Ash, who can no longer tolerate it, stands up suddenly with a splash.

"How can it be that, because he is an Ark-Dragner, you choose some guy whose identity is unknown for the marriage of Her Royal Highness Princess... Stop kidding around!"

Even though Ash is furious; Veronica is not only unshaken, she even glowered at him.

"Brat. What qualifications do you have to comment on what I’m doing?"

"That, I..."

“Or...... Do you have some unspeakable relationship with Silvia?”

Veronica's eyes are even more focus.

"Th-There is no such thing!"

Ash quickly denied it but Veronica sneered coldly.

If that being the case, you are not qualified to interrupt."

"Err ..."

“Moreover, can you cover up your front? You're troubling Silvia in regards of where to look."

Veronica is right as Silvia’s eyes are wandering. Moreover, even though Veronica has been soaking in the water for a longer time, Silvia's face is redder.

“-Uwaa!”

Only then Ash remembers that he is naked and immediately sinks his body in the water.

===Part 7===
The next day began the Imperial game which was organised by the students.

The so-called Imperial game, to put it bluntly, is performed by the advanced course students demonstrating their skills in front of Princess Veronica.

When being visited by Royals or Nobles… Performing these types of athletic activites is a well-established tradition of the dragon riding Academy.

Even during the time Ash was away, taken to serve Veronica, the preparations for the Imperial game were still running normally in the arena.

Even Veronica, who has always been rigorous and comprehensive, did not reject this tradition and promised to attend the match.

The game event is–– Dragon riding Cricket.

A very special dragon riding game: Maestro, Strada, Asia and Hydra…… Four different types of dragons with each fielding a different position in the same game.

Veronica is looking on from the arena’s VIP seats, and today she is also dressed in heavy armour.

Captain Glenn McGuire, still equipped in his own Ark, was like a shadow and remained by her side. The remaining six escorts had Veronica surrounded in a circle like shape.

The auditorium stands had long been packed with students and included many citizens of Ansarivan.

If anyone attempt to assassinate Veronica it would be easy to mix in a malicious group within this audience. The reason Glenn and the others were sporting a murderous look is probably caused by this.

"Eh ..."

This morning Ash also stayed beside Veronica, attending as her butler. After only one night Veronica was still reluctant to exempt him from his new duties.

Besides that, last night Ash spent his night in the ship's lounge. It has been a long time since he has not spent the night with Eco.

"Something wrong? Worrying about your Pal?"

Veronica chatted openly with Ash, having keenly seen through his mood .

Even when the audience cheers reach up into the sky her voice is still loud and clear.

"Well... In a way."

"What’s to be worrying about? Won’t the staff of the Dragon Scotia help to take care of dragons?"

"No. Eco must be taken care of by me––"

While Ash is halfway through explaining…..

"Found you!"

Eco yelled while rushing to him.

Although the escorts led by Glenn immediately put on an alert posture, it is also clear to them the incoming person is someone who can be excluded from the use of force.

Veronica also lifts her hand and waves at them for them to stop.

"What are you messing around… Right here?!"

When Eco closes the distance she immediately leaps, does a summersault drawing a beautiful arc in mid-air to perform a jumping kick attack.

''"Ka Poof!"''<ref>sound of Ash being hit. ~~ "*Ouch*"</ref>

His stomach is severely kicked, and Ash painfully moans out loud while kneeling down on the spot.

Eco angrily glared at Ash who is suffering without any reason.

“You better get ready… Hurry up! How am I able to play this game if you aren't present! "

Ash is surprised for a moment, and looked upwards towards Eco.

“Play...... You intend to participate in this competition?”

"Of course! Anyway, it feels very interesting!"

"The question is... How are you going to participate?"

"Hu?"

This time it's Eco’s turn to be dumbstruck.

"You must ride a dragon to receive the qualification...... How am I to ride you?"

Veronica who is listening to the two’s conversation smiled.

"Oh. To think that there is a time that the 'Boy who can ride any dragon' was unable show his own ability."

"That's because there exist some problems that cannot be solved by the use of physics!"

"Are you looking down on me? Who says that you are riding me? It's also ok for me to ride you! Quick, lay on the ground!"

Ash, frightened, shouted:

"No matter who is riding there is no way for us to play! How can I a mere Human compete with the other's dragons? In a blink of an eye I will be stepped on and get smashed up!"

"Err...... or else I will let you try by putting on the Ark––"

"I have not heard which Ark-Dragner had been crawling while lying on the ground. Moreover, the rules prohibit the use of magic!"

The two of them are having a argument. At last… Eco gave in. She seems disappointed and dejected.

"''Haa''...... Why was I born in this form?"

"Eco."

"Do not be discouraged, the one who is called 'Eco' or whatever."

Surprisingly, Veronica tried to cheer up Eco.

"Why... I do not need any people to comfort me."

"You listen to me first. Dragons are a very wise race and their cumulative history is much longer than humans." Veronica lectured.

"... What are you trying to express?"

"In other words 'you', who are born with a human form, must have a reason. Even if the reason remains unclear for now, there will come a day that the truth will be revealed."

"You..."

While Eco is accidentally staring at Veronica, the whistle signifying the start of the game is blown.

Riders dressed in dragonsuit, each on their respective Pal, quickly spread out.

"Oh. Even Silvia took part! Oh... and the opponent is actually Rebecca’s team? This is worth seeing."

Veronica muttered showing an unusual rare happy expression––

"Kyaa!"

Silvia and Lancelot were knocked out from the ring by Cú Chulainn who is ridden by Rebecca.

===Part 8===
"Princess!"

As Ash saw that Silvia was thrown off Lancelot and had fallen heavily on the ground, he immediately rushed out.

He jumped over the auditorium straight towards the arena. Swiftly passing through the crowds of dragons towards the place where Silvia fell.

The game is suspended because Silvia temporarily lost consciousness.

Veronica, looking at the running Ash, muttered:

"That kid... He didn't even hesitate to run towards a group of dragons. He surely has some guts."

"Hmm. What’s so strange about that?"

Eco snapped at Veronica.

“But it seems that he isn't used to women." Veronica laughs cheekily.

Eco, without giving up, questions her:

"What do you mean by that? It is best for you to explain clearly!"

"What?"

“That guy lives with me all day long. How can he be not used to women!"

"Hmph...... While staying with a little girl like you, how can he be immune to women? When he saw me naked, he was embarrassed until the point 'that' extended."

Eco who was red in her face clenched her teeth.

"Wh-What did you say?! Why were you naked?"

"Due to some adult circumstances… A kid like you has no reason to know."

"You really know how to make people angry by just have them looking at you!” Eco yelled.

While Eco is angrily stomping around… Glenn quietly whispers to Veronica.

"The boy seems intent on sending Princess Silvia-sama to the school building...... Are we going to sit here idly? Silvanus also is in no shortage of excellent doctors."

"Let him be."

Veronica briskly stood up, looking around at the crowd.

"Everyone listen carefully!"

The strong-willed voice echoed about the arena, and in the same moment the crowd is silenced. Just like a script in a play, everyone in sight is focused on Veronica.

"Cú Chulainn’s collision is allowed according to the rules. Everything has to be blamed on my sister's immaturity. The game is not over, please proceed!"

The audience suddenly gave a thunderous applause as the game is resumed.

===Part 9===
"Err ..."

The instant she opens her eyes... she is greeted by the familiar chandeliers.

This is the girl’s dormitory––The top floor of Epona, inside the royal family’s room––also Silvia's personal room.

A cool breeze is blowing in slowly from the opened windows.

The sun in the sky is slowly setting.

"How do I ...?"

Silvia was quite startled.

Not long after the game started, Cú Chulainn collided with me, the impact was so great it caused me to fall from Lancelot––

Silvia still remembers the incident that happened, but after that she completely fails to recall anything.

“- Ow!”

She looks on her body, and found out that she is not wearing a dragonsuit, but pyjamas.

When did someone help me put it on?

"Are you alright… Princess Highness?"

When she suddenly heard a man's voice Silvia could not help but move her body backwards.

"... Why are you here?"

Silvia simply did not even expect the smiling person at the bedside to actually be Ash.

Although he is now wearing the uniform of a butler the sleeve on his left hand reveals a small portion of bandage. He really does insist on covering up his 'Seikoku'...... but right now, those things aren't important.

Why would a guy be in the girl's dormitory where men are forbidden from entering?

Let alone Silvia Lautreamont’s boudoir!

“Oh, you have woken up, Princess?"

At this time, Cosette stuck her face out from the kitchen and Silvia immediately asked her to explain.

"Cosette. What is this about?! Why is Ash in my room?!"

“It would be rude if you use those words you know. Ash-sama took the trouble to carry you back to your room."

"What did you say? Ash... Carry me?"

Being stared at by an irate Silvia... Ash started to shrink.

"Don’t be so angry with me. Initially… I brought you to the nurse's office, but because the imperial game was in progress... There are also many others who were injured..."

"Today's nurse office is simply no different from a field hospital."

Cosette added with a wry smile.

"Once the doctor found out that Princess had only a slight bruise, they kicked you out of the nurse's office. They also said that even if you are the princess, right now, there is no time to give you special treatment."

They finally managed to clarify the situation, but even then Silvia still wasn't satisfied.

"Even if what you say is true… What is your obligation to carry me?"

"Of course it is because that I’m concerned about Princess Highness!"

Listening to Ash who speaks so confidently–– Silvia's heart could not help but feel moved and beats heavily.

"Haha ......"

Without realizing Silvia's mood… Ash suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I’m just thinking, no matter how good Lancelot is, to clash directly with Cú Chulainn is just too much."

What Ash said is indeed the truth.

Maestro Cú Chulainn is undoubtedly the strongest Dragon in the entire Academy.

Silvia's order, to face Cú Chulainn head-on, was not only bad judgment, but also caused Lancelot to become injured.

"He he. It is because Princess wanted to show her best in front of Veronica-sama."

Hearing Cosette bring up the one thing that she is most concerned about… Silvia immediately blushed.

"S-Shut up! Things aren't exactly like what you said!" Although Silvia denied it, Ash and Cosette still just smile.

Her thoughts were seen through completely.

"Haa... I am simply unworthy of becoming Lancelot's master."

Silvia's ashamed and cannot help but say some discouraging words.

"You don't have to belittle yourself!..."

Ash, even though puzzled, tries to comfort her but she becomes even more emotional.

"You shut the hell up! I really can’t become Lancelot’s master! Lancelot should have been entrusted to him and not me!"
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p149.jpg|thumb|Guest? ...... Who is it?]]

"Hey ... What do you mean by that?" Ash with a surprised look peeped at Silvia's face.

Silvia suddenly realizes that her tongue slipped.

She carelessly leaked out a long time secret.

"N-Nothing! There’s no big deal! Forget what I just said!"

At this time there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Princess Silvia. You have a guest."

The voice from across the door is that of an elder lady. The Epona dormitory’s warden.

It is rare that the warden would personally bring a guest.

“Guest? ...... Who is it? "

Shouldn’t be Anee-ue ... Silvia is terribly frightened, but the name from the warden mouth is not what she expected.

"Glenn McGuire-sama."

"What-!"

"Glenn.... That poker faced guy?" Ash shouted as he sprang up from the chair.

"Sorry to interrupt. Princess Silvia." Glenn said as he entered the room.

He then knelt down and respectfully saluted.

"...... Glenn-dono. Why are you here?"<ref>This sentence here use a very polite form of speaking or what we called court language since my English is limited please help me correct this.</ref> Silvia said, putting on a calm front.

She looked downward from her bed towards Glenn.

- When Silvia was still small… Glenn and her brother––Prince Julius––often accompanied her and played together.

Julius and Glenn were not only close friends… they were also rivals. <ref>The rivals here is in the sense of competing with each other.</ref>

It is said that, during the time the two were studying in Ansarivan, they were always competing for the top position. At that time Glenn was a good hearted and lovable guy–– but now he felt like a different person.

His beauty still remains, but people cannot feel any change in his expressions. The feeling one gets, while looking at his face, is not any different than staring at some ice carvings.

Perhaps his expression had been frozen since the day Julius committed the ''dragon slaying'' crime.

Whenever she sees Glenn’s face… Silvia feels depressed.

"Glenn-dono... If Anee-ue sent you here. Please make the long story short."

"Veronica-sama asked me to visit you and check out your condition.”

"If that is so, as you can see, I do not have any serious problems. So you're satisfied?"

She obviously doesn't want to say this, but Silvia still blurts out words fully soaked in a spicy tone.

"....Understood. I will report clearly to Veronica-sama. Next, I also brought a message from Veronica-sama."

"You may say it."

Feeling a heavy pressure on her stomach, at the same time, Silvia urged him to speak.

A message from Veronica is definitely never a good thing.

"Tomorrow at noon; Veronica-sama is scheduled to pay a visit of condolences on the streets."

"Is it......"

Originally the official reason of Veronica's visit to Ansrivan is to give condolences to the people involved in the rebuilding of St. Durham Square. It's just that the trouble Silvia had just faced caused her to forget about it completely.

"So I need to accompany Anee-ue to give condolences to the affected people. Is that right?"

"No. You don’t need to accompany."

"What did you say?"

The unexpected answer stunned Silvia.

"Veronica-sama’s orders are; "Tomorrow you must go to the St Valleria church to seek for repentance"."

"Repentance? Why?"

"Please forgive me for saying it bluntly... Veronica-sama was angered by your disgrace."

The so-called disgrace should be referring to the fall from the dragon’s back during the Imperial game. At the end of the day… Veronica thought that Silvia's performance was ''simply foolhardy''.

As if that wasn't enough, just like rubbing salt on the wound, Glenn continued:

"In addition, during the prayers, you’re not allowed to be accompanied by a maid."

"... Is it so? So when the streets are full of rejoicing because of anee-ue’s condolences, I must act like a nun praying alone. This is what anee-ue means right?"

Glenn, without looking at the self-mocking Silvia, officially respons:

"I’m nothing but a carrier pigeon. Then, I will be taking my leave."

Silvia impulsively stopped Glenn, who was about ready to leave.

"Wait a moment, Glenn-dono!"

".. May I ask what's the problem?"

Just like ice his eyes stare straight towards Silvia.

"Glenn-dono... That is... Have you heard from anee-ue about the marriage? "

"I have heard slightly about it."

Glenn replied coldly without blinking an eye.

"Is it?"

Even though marriage is a lifetime event… Glenn's attitude is cold, and almost without feeling.

"...... There is nothing more. You may leave."

Glenn respectfully bows and gets ready to leave the room, but––

"This is the first time I've seen such a detestable carrier pigeon."

Unexpectedly, from the side, Ash calls out loud to retain Glenn.

"Anyway. Your attitude, isn't it a bit too much? You're going to be married to the princess… Don’t you have your own will?"

Ash simply throws out the question that Silvia had sealed within her heart.

Silvia was so surprised that she even forgot to stop him.

Glenn paused to stare back at Ash.

"I’m Princess Veronica’s knight. I must obey the command of Her Highness."

Even as Silvia realized, she gave Ash a surprised look and gasped.

"What did you say? So you are saying that you are loyal to her? If she ordered you to die… You would have no objection against dying?"

"Absolutely!"

Glenn readily replied, and so made the others feel no hint of hesitation.

"You are just like a puppet...... Don’t you have your own will?"

Originally Glenn took the comments about him dying as no big deal, but now his change in attitude was obviously caused by Ash’s criticism. This time he turned his whole body around and strode towards Ash.

“……You are called Ash Blake, am I right? Perhaps you have the credit for saving this city, but don’t you get carried away because in the end you will only play a small role."

Ash frowned because of Glenn’s criticism.

"What do you mean? Are you trying to negate the efforts of Eco and me?"

"I will not deny it. Luck is part of the strength. But––"

At the moment Glenn’s eyes emit a breath-taking aura.

"Remember your own place."

Leaving behind words that weighed as heavy as iron, Glenn turned around and left the room.

"That bastard..."

Ash exposed an angry expression staring at the closed door. Even while being stared at by everyone's eyes, Ash showed no hint of fear. On the other hand he looked more like a raging pillar of fire.

But Silvia is a contrast to Ash. Even when she was not being stared at her whole body is trembling, and her fingers and knees are shaking.

That the gentle and kind Glenn in the past could emit such mournful eyes. This not only caused her to feel more pressure but she also couldn't believe it.

===Part 10===
"Damn... Who the hell does he think he is."

While complaining angrily, Ash walked around in the room.

Presumably… He is annoyed at Glenn for not being able to talk it over with him.

It seems that it never occured to Ash that "his own strength is never weaker than Glenn's".

Seeing Ash’s angry expression Silvia's mood turned a little bit more relaxed.

"You might as well take a seat. Look at you, moving around like a monkey, it even makes me feel impatient."

"Sorry..."

Even though Ash sits down obediently on the chair beside the bed, it's still difficult to banish the feeling of hatred.

"Princess… Aren’t you angry? In any case. His attitude is a little too cold!" Ash, a bit incoherently, rambles.

"Right. It is cold...... But. He was not such a person years ago."

"How?"

"In the past he was like my other brother. At that time Glenn-dono was as warm as spring... He was also cheerful and a gentleman… He treated me with love like his own sister."

"When did this happen?"

"Anii-ue was sentenced a decade ago. This happened before that…... When I was about four or five years old. Even though my childhood memory is somewhat of a blur, but so far, I still remember clearly that Anii-ue and Glenn-dono loved me very much."

"I see..."

Ash showed an embarrassed expression.

As a result. The felony Anii-ue committed not only hurt the Lautreamont Royal Family but also caused a great impact on his best friend.

"If not because Anee-ue stopped him, I’m afraid that Glenn-dono would have already left Knight’s country...... I heard that, when Anii-ue was sentenced, Glenn-dono became dissolute."

"Really?"

"Judging from this… We could say that Anee-ue is the one who saved Glenn-dono. At the same time, it also proves that Anee-ue had a large enough emotional strength<ref>The strength here does not signify muscle strength, it mean mental strength and open mindedness</ref> to save a strong knight such as Glenn-dono."

Silvia's eyes drift out of the window, watching the evening and deep sky, she muttered:

“Her strength is so enormous that I do not have any hope of beating her...... "

"Princess Highness."

Just then, there is sudden knock on the door. Silvia, who has been traumatized by recent events, shrank in to a ball. At first they thought Glenn came back, but the truth is......

"I’m entering."

The one swinging open the door was actually Rebecca.

"President!"

Rebecca moved towards the bedside and looked at Silvia's face, beginning an explanation...

"Just then, I didn’t hold back. Looking at you with a murderous aura rushing over, I cannot help but want to show my real ability. I have reflected on my immaturity."

Silvia is terrified, she anxiously pulled up the quilt to cover her head.

"If anyone wanted to find out whose responsibility it is... I was in the wrong. I am to blame because I was too concerned about Veronica’s attention, and ordered Lancelot to rush out head-on......"

"You do not need to apologise to me… That is but an accident of the game, and I did not have any serious injuries."

"Is it? Then I'm relieved."

Seeing Rebecca’s cheeky soft smile… Silvia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway... Why did you purposely come here?"

"Ahh!! Yes, in fact, I was looking for Ash."

"Me?"

Ash was shocked while looking at Rebecca.

"Well, at 7:00 AM tomorrow morning, there is expected to be an emergency meeting, naturally regarding issues about Princess Veronica’s upcoming condolences."

"Understood, but I cannot guarantee that Princess Veronica promised to allow me to..."

Ash answered without any confidence, but Rebecca interupted while revealing a playful smile.

"I had already forgotten that you are the attendant of Princess Veronica, and now you really look a lot more like one”

Ash, while looking down at his own clothing, wore a suffering expression.

"I can’t wait to take it off and throw it away... and I’m really worried about Eco."

To reduce Ash’s worry Rebecca stated with a smile:

"Don’t worry so much about it, about Eco’s daily life, the student’s council will give her our full support. Initially I had hoped to let Cosette to deal with her but......"

"I'm sorry, but now, Princess’s problem alone had already caused me a lot of problem."

Standing against the wall, Cosette bowed and apologised from the bottom of her heart.

Ash looked puzzled.

"Huh? Who is the one responsible for taking care of Eco?"

"For now we made an exception of letting Angela-sensei help take care of her."

Hearing Rebecca's answer… Ash suddenly turned pale and stood up.

"Why is she given over to the number one most dangerous person?! What if Eco was to be dissected by her!"

"Don’t worry. I think Angela-sensei seems to have changed her ways."

"Are you sure ...?"

“No problem. If Eco encounters any crisis your 'Seikoku' will notify you."

"Y-Your words are true..."

"M-May I ask."

The restless Silvia interrupts from beside. In fact, she was concerned about a problem for a long time.

"Why did the president not ask me to attend tomorrow’s meeting?"

After a long silence, Rebecca said flatly:

"Princess Veronica already told me. Tomorrow you were ordered to go to the church for repentance, is this not so? How can I appoint any work of the Student Council to you?"

"How come…..."

"If there is any dissatisfaction… Show that your strength is beyond Princess Veronica's."

Rebecca, like she is gloating, states the impossible conditions. Then she took Ash and left.

"Princess VS Princess ~ A.B.S.1365.5 ~" is closed

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 2

2015-08-22T15:54:24Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 2 - Ironblood Valkyrie */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 2 - Ironblood Valkyrie==
===Part 1===
The following morning, Ash was having his ecology class.

Eco, as usual, was also attending class in her uniform. But since the lecture was too abstruse…

"Huff… Puff…"

She was fast asleep on the table.

"…In other words; Stradas' element is wind, Asias' element is wind/earth and Hydras' element is water."

The one standing on the lectern, lecturing all the students, was Professor Angela. She had an unusual concern for Eco as a researcher, so Ash did not wish to let her gain opportunities to approach Eco…

"Well, then what is a Maestro’s element?"

Angela questioned with a stern tone as her eyes fell on the class register.

"This question… Let's have Princess Silvia answer it."

Even after she had been called out by Angela, Silvia just gazed blankly outside the window.

"Princess? What’s the problem?"

Angela continued to question her, but Silvia remained silent.

"Geez… Jessica Valentine. Please answer."

"Yes!"

Jessica, who was just named, stood up from her seat energetically.

"A Maestro’s element is light."

Jessica proudly replied, but Angela sneered back.

"Right… is what I would like to say, but unfortunately you were only half-right. A Maestro’s element is light, but it's not just that. Maestros also completely inherit the element that it was born with. In other words… A Maestro who was once a Strada has both light and wind elements…”

"Hey, Ash. Is something wrong with the Princess?"

Raymond, who was not paying attention to Angela’s explanation, asked Ash.

Ash sighed.

"She… she has been out of it since she heard that the Ironblood Valkyrie was coming to Ansarivan. It looks like she has received a great and devastating blow…"

Raymond seemed confused.

"‘Ironblood Valkyrie’ is the princess’s elder blood sister, right? What possible impact could she receive from that message?"

"About that… I’m not sure…"

"Do the two of you need my explanations?"

Suddenly someone interrupted their conversation. Ash was shocked.

“Cosette? Why are you here?"

Cosette, sitting obediently in an empty seat, was also wearing the standard uniform for maids who were serving the royals. It was hard not to notice her.

"Hehehe. Since Her Royal Highness The Princess is dispirited, I must guard her quietly from the shadows. I have also received the permission of Angela-sensei."

"You call this 'quietly from the shadows'? Anyways, I'm concerned about the reason she is suffering."

"Are you concerned for her as her classmate or as a man?"

Ash suddenly felt his cheeks turn hot.

"Y-You… What are you talking about!? The princess and I has fought alongside as comrades and we are both members of the Student Council. It's normal that I’m concerned about her."

"Are you sure? Then let's leave it at that. Hehe."

Cosette, after a mischievous smile, jumped back into the topic.

"Her Royal Highness Veronica is a well-known warrior. She has a militant-like attitude, which is also the reason that the princess was forced to do a lot of training when she was young."

“The training… was it tough?"

"In fact… I’m not exaggerating when I say she was living in hell every day. The princess had not only been pushed into lakes, she was also sent into ruins to do explorations, climbed the city walls and was brought to well-known haunted forests to learn to survive in the wild… "

Ash was dumbfounded.

"I think that is plain bullying…"

"Incidentally, I played the role of the ghost in the forest."

"Come on! How come you are also one of the culprits!?"

"''Perhaps Silvia's timid side is because of Veronica (and Cosette)…''", Ash thought.

"Because of the shadow of her childhood, Her Royal Highness Veronica has become a symbol of terror in the eyes of the princess…”

"I see…"

Her violent attitude aside, it seems that Veronica had a lot of personality problems. Ash, as one of the Student Council members, must greet this 'difficult' princess.

Just from imagining it, Ash had a headache.

Raymond muttered with a grin:

"The title ‘Ironblood’ is not just for show. However, Ash… I also like women who are strong."

"Don’t you worry. I won’t ever care what kind of girl you like…"

"…Strada, Asia and Hydra… What conditions do they require in order to become a Maestro?"

Even though Ash was troubled… Angela’s lesson, of course, would not be interrupted.

"Ash. Please answer this question."

"What? Me?"

Called rather abruptly, Ash appeared to have felt embarrassed.

Angela's sight was as sharp as a scalpel. Just being stared at by her made you feel like you were lying on the operation table waiting to be butchered.

On the other hand, that dangerous glare, at the same time, seemed to fall on the sleeping Eco.

Ash's spine shuddered. From his seat, he silently stood.

“Uh-h… I don’t know."

"Correct."

"I'm sorry… What? Correct?"

Angela revealed a playful smile.

"That’s right. About the reasons the dragons transform into a Maestro, there are different opinions among scholars; the truth has yet to be found out."

Angela closed the textbook and looked around the students.

"Old records show that all dragons will eventually become a Maestro naturally. However, since recovering from the verge of extinction, the conversion rate of regular dragons to Maestros has dropped significantly. Though, logically, each dragon should qualify to become a Maestro."

The students immediately turned into quite a storm.

It was also the first time that Ash heard about this.

"That is why the existence of breeders has been called into question. Why is it that now, in modern times, dragons that die before they become a Maestro have become the majority…? Perhaps the key factor to becoming a Maestro is in the hands of a breeder."

The school bell, that announced the class's dismissal, sounded at that time.

Silvia, with Cosette's assistance, shakily left the classroom. Meanwhile, Ash had this uneasy feeling.

"The Princess is alright, right…?"

There were six more days before Princess Veronica’s visit…

Even though Silvia still couldn’t calm down, the day of Princess Veronica’s visit was nearing.

Why did Veronica choose this time to visit Ansarivan?

"Officially, this visit is being made 'to inspect the City of Ansarivan, which was under attack'. But according to rumours, Veronica is coming as a representative of the Royal Knight’s Hawks."<ref>骑士王室鹰派 lit. "Hawks Division of the Royal Knights".</ref>

The inspection was probably a cover. The true reason was to investigate the condition of the city and the strength of the Necromancia – this was Rebecca’s view on the matter.

In fact, Veronica had been involved in the strife between races all across the continent and she even had the experience of stopping a war.

It was said that she was only twelve years old during her first expedition.

Even though she was not selected to become a breeder; Veronica, who needed to overcome her congenital condition which put her at a disadvantage, was extremely powerful and also braver than anyone on the battlefield.

She led the way and charged forward, chopping down the enemy mercilessly one by one.

There was a rumour that whenever Veronica swung her sword, three heads were sent flying through the air at the same time.

Wise and strong.

Victorious and has never been at a disadvantage.

There is no swordsman whose skills were on par with her.

Veronica became famous after she killed a basilisk with just her sword alone. Even poet laureates turned her achievement into poetry. Basilisks were big violent lizards. Some see them as a close relative of the Asia.

The famous Veronica was given the nickname ‘Ironblood Valkyrie’ by the people.

According to Rebecca, once people heard that Veronica was coming to Ansarivan, they suddenly frowned.

Veronica, in order to extinguish the flames of war on the continent, heroically fought in the war in her teens. However she had also indirectly become the cause of problems.

Veronica unconsciously made a lot of enemies.

The remnants of the rebels still wanted to take Veronica’s life. It was not surprising that she could be assassinated at any given time.

Just right after the attack of the Necromancia, another difficult task was received. Anyone could tell that the chief of Ansarivan was in trouble.

===Part 2===
The midday bell rang loudly.

Led by the mayor and the principal, the important figures of the City Council, the Academy Council and also members of the Student Council… A welcoming group of more than 20 people were lining up at the entrance of the school’s first block waiting for the arrival of Veronica.

"For Princess Veronica to visit the city personally… How long has passed since her previous visit?"

Dr Angela Cornwell, who changed her usual white lab coat for her rarely seen formal dress, also joined the welcoming party.

Angela, who unexpectedly became a lecturer recently, was in fact a national treasure that was given much authority to do research.

Although all the representatives of Ansarivan were gathered together; for the occasion of welcoming a princess, such numbers were regarded to be on a very small scale. Usually, even the mobilisation of all the members of the public to hold a grand welcoming ceremony would not be unexpected.

However, Veronica was well-known for her preference to keep things simple. They even received prior notice to dispense with all complicated ceremonies, so even the school was operating as usual.

The Student Council was represented by Rebecca, Max, Ash, as well as Eco. Not only that, but the figures of Maestro Cú Chulainn and Maestro Arianrhod could also be seen.

Cú Chulainn was Rebecca's Pal and was also truly the Academy’s strongest Maestro.

His silver fur was really dazzling and his unbelievable growth made him unable to put on any mounting gear on his mammoth like body. It made anyone who saw him stare, dumbfounded.

Arianrhod is Max's Pal, and although already a noble Maestro, his age is still that of a child. Different from the imposing Cú Chulainn, he is filled with an atmosphere that makes people want to pamper him.

"Hey, Eco, are you really… Are you, too, going to welcome Princess Veronica?"

"What? Do you have something against it?"

Eco joined the welcome party as the mascot of the student council and is wearing the same black dress that she wore during the ceremony before. It seems she has taken quite a liking to it.

That aside, it was the problem with Silvia that made people a lot more worried.

"The Princess, is she really not coming?"

After hearing Ash’s question, Rebecca shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

"Look, if she was scared to that extent, we can't possibly force her to participate in this. Right? She seems to have some considerable trauma regarding Veronica."

"It's really hard to believe that she turned out to be so afraid of her own sister…"

"Who's afraid of what?"

The person who interrupted Ash was precisely Silvia herself.

"Princess…!"

City Council and the School Council immediately bowed respectfully upon the appearance of Silvia.

The Silvia with her status as Princess generously replied "Thanks for your hard work" and approached them.

"Are you all right now?"

Immediately after Ash spoke to her, Silvia exposed a smile brimming with confidence.

Not only did she look pumped up, but her hair was also glossier than ever. Despite wearing her uniform she looked a lot more dashing than her usual self.

"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm Silvia Lautreamont! Even though I had displayed an unbecoming side of mine before, but now I’m alright."

"Is that so?… Then I’m relieved."

Although it was surprising that she looked a bit too well… For now, it was enough to be reassuring.

While Ash was thinking that to himself… Rebecca was lecturing her in a stern tone.

"How can you be so insouciant? Silvia, as a Dragner, how can you meet your sister without Lancelot?"

Lancelot is also a Maestro, Silvia's Pal. Because of the Necromancia's attacks from a few days ago Ash has become quite familiar with the dragon.

"Sorry that there was no prior notice… Anee-ue, she doesn't really like Lancelot."

Silvia’s answer made Rebecca frown.

"Is this related to Veronica not having been chosen as a Breeder?"

"Well… It should be something like that."

After throwing a glance at Silvia, who gave such strangely ambiguous answer, for some reason Rebecca revealed a merciful smile.

"If that is so, let's leave it like that."

"…?"

Ash couldn't understand what Rebecca was thinking.

At that moment, all the adults began muttering amongst themselves…

“I can see it!”

"Oooh! That is Princess Veronica's…!"

"They were even able to make such a vehicle!"

"It seems similar to an Empire-made<ref>For those who don’t know Empire is Zepharos Empire and Kingdom is Chevron Kingdom.</ref> airship …!"

Ash, too, couldn't help but curiously look up into the blue skies.

A foreign body that could not be natural appeared near the edge of the cobalt blue sky.

As the minutes ticked past it grew, from the black dot of that foreign body, as its outlines were gradually revealed.

That flying body was escorted by seven Dragners.

"… It couldn't be!"

To Ash’s dismay he couldn't help shouting out loud.

By comparing it to the dragons flying alongside one could immediately get a feel of the actual size of the gigantic ship. In contrast to the huge flying object even the dragons, that served as the guard, looked just like beans in comparison.

Rebecca, while standing beside Ash, looking sternly said:

"That is Princess Veronica’s personal plane–– The magicship ‘Silvanus’."

===Part 3===
—Silvanus.

This was done by Princess Veronique as she had gathered many exiled scientists of the Zepharos Empire who successfully developed the beta version of the ship.

Silvanus, now looking like it's going to occupy the entire open space, slowly landed in front of the school’s block. Like a bird that lands on a lake, the landing is very stable.

The magicship design is widely based on a streamlined shape, which often makes people think that it's a Maestro with outspread wings.

The red lines together with the white colour armour produced a stunning appearance.

And attached at many locations on the body of the magicship are the cannons’ trapdoors.

Ash stared at the magnificent magicship dumbly.

He had heard so much about Silvanus but this is the first time he witnessed it with his own eyes.

"This thing is just too big… How can it fly?"

Seeing that Ash was transfixed in his place, Silvia explained:

"This magicship uses Bright-Dragon-Crystal as fuel. Anee-ue, even though she didn’t become a breeder, used the combination of Dragon’s magic and Mechanical Engineering technology from the Empire to construct the Silvanus."

"So, literally, it was the Oracle’s power that allows it to fly…!"

"That is the way it is. But the only thing that can be used as fuel is a special type of Bright-Dragon-Crystal called Millennium, so there is no method of mass production."

“Millennium?"

"The dragon fossils in the ground, after a thousand years, may produce crystals with massive power.

"I don’t even know about this…"

"It's just that, Silvanus, compared to an Empire made aviation ship, not only does it has a smaller size, but also its defence has some problems. The places where the armour is weak can only be reinforced with a Dragner. You have already seen them right?'

Silvia was right. Because just now, the seven Dragner serving as escort precisely landed each of their dragons on the ground.

Out of the seven Dragner, only the leading one is with an Ark. He is likely the escort’s captain.

"Veronica is going to alight the ship so please do not whisper." Rebecca, with a low voice, scolded them.

Ash and Silvia had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

As the crowd watched Silvanus's door slowly opened accompanied by the operating noise of it's gears, and the boarding ladder lowered automatically.

Under the gaze of everyone––

The Ironblood Valkyrie, escorted only by the sound of her footsteps, which sounded just like iron being hit with a hammer, landed on the ground.

Ash gasped, his eyes fixed on Veronica’s figure.

''Even though called a princess, she looked more like a Valkyrie…'' Ash thought.

It is not surprising that she is Silvia’s sister, the two of them looked identical.

Their dazzling blond hair and white skin is their common feature.

However, the aura of command, emitted by the tall slender figure, outshone Silvia's.

The important thing is her eyes.

Like an eagle who fixed on its prey from up high.

Her eyes are as sharp as blade. Just by being stared at by her, feels like the heart had been thoroughly pierced through.

Flipping over her red cloak, Veronica with a loud voice said:

"Thanks to everyone who is here to welcome me. Sorry for the trouble!"

Her voice is powerful like a highly resilient whip.

When the cloak is flipped up the armour adorning Veronica’s limbs is instantly exposed.

Obviously they are crafted with steel, heavy and dazzling. Only then Ash realized that the unusual sounds of footsteps are the sounds of her sabatons<ref>Foot guards or iron boots, generally not found on most armour.</ref>.

She wore a broad sword which required both hands to wield. Presumably that sword is the weapon that drew the blood of numerous rebels and the basilisk.

Veronica, leading the seven escorts, began marching this way.

A group led by the mayor panicked and wanted to kneel down and salute, but Veronica with a disgusted look on her face waved them off.

"Please forget about those unnecessary and over-elaborate formalities. More importantly… Where is Silvia?"

With the speed of a hawk’s eye she quickly scanned the faces of the crowd.

“We haven’t meet for a long time. Anee-ue. "

Silvia answered Veronica’s call by stepping forward.

"We haven’t met each other in four years, two months and twelve days, my dear sister."

"From the day I left the palace, and came to Ansarivan for my school enrollment… We haven’t met each other since."

The way Silvia speaks with such fluency is calmer than what he expect.

Ash quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

However-

The next instant, Ironblood Valkyrie revealed her true nature which matches with her nickname.

"I'm really disappointed, Silvia!"

Veronica raised her right hand.

Just when he thought that Silvia was going to be slapped, the next second Ash witnessed an incredible scenario.

Silvia easily avoided Veronica’s palm, and easily jumped five meters off. She even did a somersault in mid-air, and gorgeously landed on the ground.

No matter what… That doesn’t look like a skill of a normal human.

"Are you mad, Anee-ue?"

Silvia smiled haughtily.

For Ash at least, that is the first time seeing Silvia laugh that way.

"How dare you make fun of me… It seems like you had borrowed some guts from heaven, faker!"

After a moment of silence… Ash cried out in dismay.

"Fake!?"

"Whew… I already knew of such thing." Rebecca, standing beside Ash, muttered softly.

It seems that Rebecca, since long ago, had known the truth.

"Tee hee. This action is worthy of Veronica Her Royal Highness."

Originally he thought that Silvia is making some tearing sound but she then ripped off her mask, together with her blond-hair wig, from her face.

And the true face behind the mask is––

"Cosette?"

Ash is dumbfounded.

The 20 people from the welcome party led by the mayor are also speechless by this unexpected change of events.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p087.jpg|thumb|"I regret that a woman like you is not able to come under my command. How about it Cosette? It is still never too late. Come and follow me!"]]

"Sure enough, there's no hiding from the eyes of Veronica Her Royal Highness."

Cosette, facing the Ironblood Valkyrie face to face, not only didn’t she act timid she even exposed a happy smile.

"That is obvious because I didn’t feel any fear from within you! The Silvia who is not afraid of me is not Silvia!"

"Hehe… I will use that as a future reference."

Her insolent answer makes Veronica frown.

"I regret that a woman like you is not able to come under my command. How about it Cosette? It is still never too late. Come and follow me!"

Cosette with a resolute attitude answer.

"The person I serve–– is only Princess Silvia-sama."

"That kind of timid blond girl? What are her good points?

"Everything about her are her good points. "

Cosette answered without a hint of confusion, and at the same time giving everyone beside her the shock of their life.

"Tsk… All this nonsense will stop here. You better quickly tell me… Where is Silvia?"

"Princess…"

While Cosette stiffened her face, trying to wriggle out––

"I… I'm here!"

Silvia in her uniform appeared behind the welcome party.

This time should be the real Silvia. The best evidence, is that she was making the others dismay with her trembling legs.

"Will Her Royal Highness Princess be alright…?"

Ash muttered nervously.

"Rest assured, at least her life is safe."

Rebecca said those terrifying words with an alarmingly calm expression.

"You… You are dismissed. Cosette."

"I will. Princess."

After receiving Silvia’s command, Cosette leaves with a serious expression on her face.

===Part 4===
Under the gaze of the welcome party and guard escort, the first Princess and the fourth Princess officially meet.

"Anything not alright, my dear sister? Look at your knees, shaking like that?"

"I-I am not… trembling. Silvia Lautreamont herself wholeheartedly… Welcomes Anee-ue’s arrival."

"Tsk. Seems to me, that apart from your breast and your butt, you haven't grown at all."

''Clink''… With the sound of her sabatons, Veronica steps forward.

"I’ll say again. Silvia, you disappoint me!"

''- WHACK!''

A hard and dry sound echoed in all four corners.

Veronica's iron-fisted swing toward Silvia which ended as a slap in the face.

"Sob …!"

Silvia cannot help but stagger, but she eventually stood firm, however the place that was slapped became swollen.

Veronica coldly stared at Silvia and with a plain tone she said:

"… I had already heard the report of the attacks. Rebecca Randall courageously protected the city and also the mysterious person who cleverly drove out the Necromancia are worthy to be praise."

Ash was surprised.

Because the one who drove out the Necromancia was no other than Ash himself!

"But what do you do? Even though there is someone who witnessed Lancelot flying in the sky, but… you are helplessly circling aimlessly in the sky, right?"

Silvia is speechless and just kept on trembling.

Ash annoyingly clenched his fists.

The information seems like it wasn't properly conveyed to Veronica. Perhaps the focus was placed on the fact that Ash drove off the Necromancia, instead of details about the middle part of the fight which had obviously been omitted.

The problem is the unrecognized fact, that Silvia and Ash actually fought side by side.

Without the assistance of Silvia, Ash could not have single-handedly defeated the Necromancia.

Ash is anxious, but Veronica naturally does not know about this, and thus she declare:

"Accept the punishment, Silvia."

Of those who are watching… there are none who are not looking pale.

Veronica pulled out a the broad-sword hanging around her waist.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p002-003.jpg|thumb|''there is a silver flash. The sound of the wind whizzing. Without knowing how much blood it drew in the past the broad sword, shining with a glaring light, rushed towards Silvia.'']]

Before there is any chance to respond there was a silver flash in front of everyones’ eyes. Even though it seemed like a gigantic two-handed sword Veronica easily wielded it with one hand.

The sound of the wind whizzing.

Without knowing how much blood it drew in the past… the broad sword, shining with a glaring light, rushed towards Silvia.

"-!"

The sword glazed Silvia's chest pitifully.

"Princess!"

Ash was scared and he screamed.

“Silvia-sama! "

"Veronica-sama has lost her mind!"

"How could such absurd thing occur!"

"Doctor, quickly call for a doctor!"

The members welcome party one after another starts to moan.

From the beginning of the incident; the only ones who weren't yelling at all and kept their cool were Rebecca, Cosette, and Angela.

Silvia, who was glazed on her chest hobbled, and in the end fell to the ground on her butt.

Unbelievably, there was no blood.

And then her uniform suddenly fragmented further, turning into pieces of of cloth, together with her underclothes which fell off gently–– As if the clothing suddenly remembered the fact that they had just been Slashed.

"Huh …?"

Silvia froze a moment looking downward feeling puzzled.

It turned out that Veronica’s slash only cut off the clothes that wrapped around Silvia’s upper body.

Her shoulder is as white as snow, her busty breast, and the contract imprinted on her chest–– 'Seikoku'––all of them were exposed in broad daylight.

"Kyaa…!"

Silvia red in the face scream at the top of her voice, with both her hands, covered her chest.

"Princess!"

Ash could stand it no longer and rushed forward. He quickly took off his jacket and draped it over Silvia's body.

"…?"

The moment he witnesses Silvia’s <Seikoku> Ash suddenly sensed something strange, although confused, but now is not the time to be concerned about such problems.

Veronica looked coldly at Ash’s action then she put back her broad-sword back in its sheath.

"Anything wrong Silvia? If you encountered the same situation on the battlefield… Will you only scream to hide your embarrassment?"

Silvia could not talk back as there were tears filling her eyes.

"Look, this is your nature. Even when you wore the aura of a Dragner, you are just a good for nothing blonde. It is better for you to pursue the so-called woman's happiness!"

"… What do you mean by this?"

Veronica’s behaviour of scolding Silvia, made Ash furious.

The anger that he is holding back for a long time suddenly exploded.

Even though he is facing the first Princess, he cannot just sit by and watch any longer.

"Hey–Hey… Ash?"

Ash's menacing walk forward made Max quickly whisper from behind to stop him, however Ash naturally turn a deaf ear.

Logically speaking the one who should be the first to stop Ash should be Rebecca but without knowing what she is thinking or maybe she is just waiting for a nice show… She didn’t comment on anything.

Ash sternly talk to Veronica.

"I do not know how great the first princess is… However, since you were not there when the incident took place, what is this nonsense that you are now talking about just now based on!"

The moment he blurted it out a sharp sword was pointed at Ash’s neck.

“Uhh…!”

Ash was caught by surprise. The one who pointed the sword at him is the Dragner who he suspected was the captain of the escort.

The man has a beautiful face, and there is nothing wrong in calling him good-looking. Just that his pair of eyes hidden under his Ark has a cold glare, hard to feel a single trace of emotion. Ash felt like he was being stared down by a ghost.

"Glenn! Whatever happens next? The opposite party is just an ordinary student.”

"Sorry. Your Royal Highness Princess."

Ordered by Veronica, the Ark-Dragner called Glenn obediently stepped aside.

The moment Ash is free from the sword he broke out into a cold sweat.

Lucky that the sword pointing at him is just a normal sword. If at that time what he had pulled out was the Ark-Dragner's personal Ark-weapon, maybe even with just magic fluctuations alone, it might have been enough to remove his head.

"Long time no see Princess Veronica-sama."

Waiting until now, Rebecca finally made her move. She stood in front of Ash and respectfully gave a bow.

"Oh. Aren’t you Rebecca? Why are you still staying in this school fooling around? I would like to advise you to hurry up and quit school to join our Dragners…"<ref> Full name should be Dragners of Lautreamont since my raws just write half the name I will let it be.</ref>.

Rebecca with her elegant response resolve Veronica’s pressure.

"I had for many a time declined the invitation to join the Dragners, and now I just want to enjoy my identity as a student."

"Hmm. You obviously haven’t been able to learn anything new from this school for some time… I really don't understand you. Having said that, is this guy also from the student council?"

Veronica's suddenly stare at him made Ash’s hair stand.

“Yes, that's right."

"It seems that you have recruited a subordinate who's full of energy."

"… May I tell you something?"

Veronica's generously nodded regarding Rebecca request, indicating that she didn't seem particularly displeased.

Leaning towards Veronica’s ear, Rebecca softly whispered something.

Veronica’s eyes suddenly shined brightly.

The gaze from her eyes, even Cú Chulainn, Arianrhod and also Eco and the other Dragons can also feel the fear.

There are such rumors in the society––

It is said that the reason that Veronica was not chosen as a breeder during the 'Orphan Ceremony', is that the Mother Of Dragon's thought that the eyes of the seven year old Veronica were much too frightening––

"Hmm… Seems like I don’t even need to waste any effort. It saves me from the trouble of finding him. Glenn, arrest that guy for me!"

"Yes, Princess."

With Veronica’s order Glenn immediately took action.

"Wh-What are you doing!"

But in a blink of an eye, Ash was caught by Glenn and he was place under his armpit.

"Hey…. Let me down!"

While feeling the cold temperature from the Ark at the same time, Ash is swinging his limbs and struggling.

But the more Ash struggled… Glenn’s hands, holding his body, became tigher and tighter. That kind of strength surprised everyone and maybe it is the Ark which enhanced his arm’s strength .

"I have a mountain of problems, and I want to question you."

Veronica calmly left the welcoming party as they stood there, mostly frightened. She lifted her cloak and walked towards the school building.

===Part 5===
Veronica does not appear to be visiting Ansarivan for the first time, as if she is familiar with the environment, she heads directly to and opens the door of the guest room.

––In the beginning, there there are only the three of them in the room. Veronica, Glenn, and Ash.

"You all go and 'wash' the school premises."

After being given orders by their captain Glenn the other six escorts salute and split up.

The 'Wash' is not as simple as the literal meaning, but it is to find and to remove suspicious persons and or items which act as a cypher. Even Ash understood this.

This is Ash's first time in the guest room.

Anyhow, since Ansarivan is a special Academy for dragon breeders, naturally there are always a lot of domestic and foreign nobles who come to visit. For the guest room; only the word 'gorgeous' can be used to describe its design.

Even the furniture, such as sofas, tables, carpets, and bookshelves, are all imported from the Chevron Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Ash cannot enjoy such a classy atmosphere.

"Glenn, put that kid on the chair."

"Yes, Princess." Glenn, without any expression, answered.

Ash was dragged to chair nearby and he let him sit on it.

"By the way, tie him up."

"Yes, Princess."

"The ass who keeps on 'Yes, Princess-ing!' St- Stop right now-"

Although Ash made his best effort to resist his opponent, being the Captain of the escort and all, he is, without a doubt no match for him.

With some rope and binding tools, Ash is easily tied onto the chair, and he even lost his own ability to stand up.

"What do you want!?"

The cold white sword is at the back of Ash’s neck

"Little devil, the one you’re speaking to is Princess Veronica Lautreamont, Her Royal Highness, you should not make any rude remarks."

Veronica scolded Glenn:

"Don’t make things any more difficult for him, according to Rebecca, he seems to be the one who drove away the Necromancia, the hero who saved Ansarivan, we must thank him properly with courtesy."

"Is this what you call courtesy?!"

Ash was so agitated that he almost fell to the ground with the chair. Being tied up indiscriminately, and they even dare to talk about courtesy.

Unfortunately, Ash’s complaints were completely ignored.

"But, Veronica-sama, this student is way too much savage and rude."

"Glenn, in this world, only achievement and result mean anything, why do we care about that rude point?"

"The problem is––"

"Do you have any opinions regarding what I just said?"

Veronica's eyes suddenly release a murderous intent. Even an amazing man like the captain kept his silence.

"I beg your forgiveness. A small slip of my tongue."

At the moment Glenn is apologizing––

The door was suddenly hit, and it flew open followed by some noisy sound.

"Hold on! You. What are you doing to my slave?!"

Unexpectedly, Eco actually rushed in. Perhaps she ran all her way here because her cheeks are bright red.

"… Eco?"

"Huu? Hey brat don’t tell me you are this child’s slave?"

When he heard Veronica emphasis on the word "slave" Ash shook his head and rejected it.

"I-I am not her slave!"

"Hmm. It seems things are not as simple as it seems …"

"About the relationship between the two of them… I will explain it to you later."

The person who appeared from behind Eco is Angela.

Beside Angela is Rebecca with a bitter smile.

"You still cause a lot of trouble. Ash. "

So-

The meeting with Veronica is going to start with the absence of the mayor, the council and the principal.

===Part 6===
Even though she is in the guest room, Veronica refuses to take off her armour. This makes Ash remember about the Valkyrie in fairy tales.

"That armour… isn’t it heavy?"

Ash casually asked but Veronica threw him a cold glare.

"A silly question. Armour is beauty! Apart from bathing and sleeping, I always remind myself to wear my armour as much as possible."

"Really…"

While ignoring Ash, who is stunned, Veronica looked around the crowd.

"We will sit right there."

Following Veronica’s proposal everyone move towards the sofa. Angela, Rebecca, and Eco following in sequence until they are sitting opposite to Veronica.

"Uh … What about me?"

Seeing that the sofa seems fluffy, which should be very comfortable to sit on, but Ash was the only one to be tied to the chair.

Ash felt baffled because why must he be tied up like a prisoner.

"Oops. I had already forgotten your presence. Glenn, go carry him over.

"Yes, Princess."

Glenn lifted Ash up altogether with the chair, and moved them both next to the sofa. Then he silently moved to the door and stood up straight.

"Well… I think you should have known that my purpose for coming to Ansarivan is not just for condolences."

"Is the purpose of your trip really to investigate the Necromancia’s incident?"

Angela's eyes were bursting out with a light of intellectual interest through their lens's.

"Ermm. I must be at the place of the incident to find out the truth that cannot be written in the report. Now please do not waste any more time. Can I trouble one of you to describe the attacks that occurred?"

"Then I will say it."

Rebecca who was actually involved in the fight began to talk about the situation of that time.

===Part 7===
After listening to Rebecca's explanation, Veronica sighed.

"Well… Does it mean that at present we still don't know the identity of the culprit? Only that, if what is recorded in the report regarding Eco’s Dragweiss is true, the Necromancia is magic engineering. To put it bluntly, it should be the product of magic and engineering. Engineering has always been the Zepharos Empire's pride, maybe the mastermind is in the Empire’s army… Rebecca what’s your opinion?"

"I also think that the Empire is the greatest suspect, but… I do not know whether it should be counted as fortunately or unfortunately, but the Empire’s territory doesn’t include the dragons’ habitat."

"Then what is the problem?"

"The problem is that this attack is originated from a 'dragon'. Unless we find some definite evidence, even if we investigate the Empire on diplomatic reasons, I'm afraid it will be futile. The other side will certainly point out, to forstall any accusations, that ‘problems of dealing with dragons are the Knights of Lautreamont’s business'."

"Hmm. What Rebecca says's is not unreasonable…. It seems like the search for evidence must go on, but, then again-"

Veronica without warning stared at Ash.

"So the hero who successfully resolved the severe crisis… Is this kid?"

"…"

Since he was tied to a chair it made him impossible to hide.

Ash took a grip on himself, put on some courage, and stared back into Veronica’s eyes.

"Hmm. Very manly."

Veronica grins while admiring him.

"Thank you for your praise."

"Well. I want to hear it from you. The most confusing spot on the report is how you defeated the monster.

"Th- That is…"

Ash doesn’t know where he is going to start from, but Eco suddenly shouted:

"If you want to ask that question… How can you forget about me!?"

"Hmm… Then I will listen to you. Little bean<ref>"Little bean" is more commonly used as a nickname of little boys who are small size, but also use for girls who are consider cute, energetic, and boyish.</ref>."

"My name is Eco, Eco!"

"For a shorty like you, little bean is enough for you, if you are not satisfied I don’t mind calling you daphnia<ref>Small, planktonic crustaceans, I have no idea where the author got this idea from.</ref>!"

"Y-You really have a foul mouth! How dare you call a noble Dragon a daphnia!"

Eco was jumping around angrily, which completely spoiled the nice dress she had put on.

"Please forgive me for interrupting, Princess Veronica. She is Ash Blake’s Pal and at the same time she is also the reason that the Necromancia was able to be repelled––Young Dragon Eco."

To help Eco to get rid of her embarrassment, Angela respectfully explains.

"Oh. This shorty?… I see, when you look closely, there are horns on her head."

Veronica eyes suddenly shine.

"Then you must quickly transform and show it to me."

"Huh? What am I going to transform?"

Eco impetuously looking at Veronica.

“Do you even need to ask, of course the Ark. I heard that it is because you presented the Ark to this kid… Only then he was able to defeat the Necromancia."

"What!… P-P-Presented?"

Eco jumped up on the spot.

Her whole face including her ears are flushed.

"Ple-Please stop joking! That was just an emergency makeshift. W-Why must I present the Ark to this guy!"

"Your reaction is really interesting. Why would you strongly deny him to this extent?"

Veronica, like seemingly from the depth of her heart, was curiously and wildly interested. She intended to scrutinize Eco.

Angela with a bitter smile explained:

“For dragons, to present the Ark is a proof of loyalty to their master, the meaning is no different when compared to marriage. Having said that, Eco has not yet recognized Ash as her master. Besides that personality of hers is…"

"That said… She just called her owner 'slave'. It's really disappointing to hear that the great hero who saved the city, who made me think him as a great man… But in the end, you who are called Ash, couldn’t even tame your own Pal?"

"Err …"

When he was looked down upon, Ash felt bitterness in his heart. When he was seen as a worthless thing by the beauty of the century, naturally he experienced an extraordinary degree of suffering.

"Forget about that, I hereby re-ordered to you instantly show the Ark you wore when defeating the Necromancia. And also, not letting the others help you, show me how you get loose from being tied."

After hearing that, Ash understands why Veronica wanted him to be tied up.

All of that is for this moment.

Perhaps she thinks, that when Ash is in the ark, it would be child play for him to let break himself free from those ropes!

Veronica even gives her orders as Princess.

The situation does not easily allow either Eco or Ash to refuse.

"Are you able to do it, Eco?"

Ash nervously asked, but Eco with confidence said:

"Why, sure I can! That Ark that has already been completed. I can re-summon it for you anytime!"

===Part 8===
Eco stood still in the centre of the room and like a nun she closes her eyes while beginning to chant incantations.

"Almete, Gorjal, Peto, Espaldar…"

Even this is Ash’s first time witnessing the process of Eco constructing the Ark.

"Brafoneras, Faldaje, Escarcelas …"

Veronica, who before has always looked calm, was witnessing the whole process with a nervous expression.

Rebecca, with a keen look, is also observing Eco.

Even Glenn, who is normally emotionless, unconsciously glanced at Eco.

“Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales, Codales, Antebrazos, Manoplas… "

As for Angela, she quickly took out a pen and paper and records the detail of the situation.

"Quijotes, Guardas, Grebas, Escarpes…"

The only thing is, although it is a very solemn ceremony, since Ash was the only one to be tied to a chair, he has no feeling of nervousness.

“-Espolón!"<ref>The chant is made of parts of a suit of armour in spanish. They are, in order "armet" (a head protection similar to a helmet, but more comfortable), "gorget" (neck protector), "breastplate" (for the breast), "backplate" (for the back), "chausses" (sock or tights made from chain mail), "faulds" (something like a metal skirt to protect what must be protected), "tassets" (little plaques that hang from the faulds to better protect the leg area), "gardbaces" (for the collarbone), "pauldron" (for the shoulder), "rerebrace" (for the upper arm), "couters" (for the shoulders), "forearms" (this is a body part; i suppose she meant "vambraces"), "gauntlets" (for the hands), "cuisses" (for the upper leg), "guards" (to cover the mobile parts, I suppose she meant "poleyns" for the knees), "greaves" (for the lower leg), "sabatons" (for the feet) and "spurs" (a short spike or spiked wheel that attaches to the heel of a rider's boot or knight's sabaton and is used to urge a {{Furigana|horse|dragon|margin=13}} forwar; the word selected names the single spike kind that, on occasions, can double as a stabbing weapon). </ref>.

After Eco shouted the last word, a shining white light enveloped in the room, a thunder-like rumble can be heard.

At the same time Ash can feel his own body coated by powerful magic.

––Similar to that time…!

Ash remembers the fight with the Necromancia.

The <Seikoku> on his left arm glows and is painful.

When the pain reach its maximum point… Ash’s body wrapped itself in a silver Ark.

It was a completely weightless, magically constructed Ark.

Perhaps they cannot withstand the magic released by the Ark, the binding tools, ropes and chair all exploded.

"Oh … there is a proverb in the east that said 'The Buddha has to be covered with golden cloth, and man must be covered with cloth”<ref>This proverb means that everybody must present themselves in what is suitable for them.</ref>, and the Ark really suits you. Glenn, what are your opinions? In your eyes does that look like an Ark?"

Glenn respectfully answered the Veronica’s question:

"Yes, I can’t be wrong. I sensed the unique magic that only an Ark possesses, and its element should be light. It's just that…"

"It's just that?"

"It is not exaggerating to say that it is an armour which doesn’t completely have the feel of its creator."

As worthy of the captain of the escort, Glenn’s opinion directly hit the point.

"You cannot blame me for this!"

Eco declare to Glenn.

It is undeniable that Eco is still a young dragon and does not have the power to create a true Ark on her own.

On the other hand she was able to take the individual armour body parts, which were particularly suitable to Ash's body, from the massive blueprint stored in the Dragweiss, and then reassemble them. Thus, this present Ark was created.

"But… I don’t understand, even if this is not a complete Ark, what good does it do?"

Angela answered Veronica’s simple question.

"To tell the truth… He has a special talent. Although I have not yet identified the reason… He has a nickname of ‘The Boy Who Can Ride Any Dragon’ in this school. Far as I know, he is the only person who can ride the others people's pal and his own. "

"I see. So the rare talent and the incomplete Ark enabled him to successfully defeat the Necromancia?"

Upon seeing Veronica’s happy facial expression Ash becomes angry.

"The facts are not like what you say! If not because of Princess-sama leading Lancelot to assist me, it would never have been possible for me to jump on to the Necromancia! But you… How you treat Princess!"

However Veronica, even after listening to Ash’s claims, remained unmoved.

"In other words… Silvia only played the role of a 'driver'."

Veronica’s comments towards Silvia are still bitter as ever.

Just at this time the Ark turned into light particles and vanished.

Upon seeing this, Veronica curls her lip to expose a harsh sneer.

"There is a time limit? Because of that it cannot be called a weapon, but it looks like it can be a tool used for an entertainment sideshow."

The Veronica’s tone angered Ash.

"This is not a sideshow! Although it is just temporary assembled. It is still an Ark that Eco created!"

“Are you Dumb? Weapons that only last a few minutes, if it is not a sideshow, what is it?"

"Err …"

"Also… Your relationship with Silvia is quite close. Are you a couple?"

At the very start to be asked such blatant questions made Ash blush. What’s more, hearing the word "couple" coming from Veronica’s mouth is also unexpected.

"I-I. How are we a couple!"

"Hmm. A weird reaction, which makes people unsatisfied… I am really very dissatisfied!"

Veronica got up from the couch and stood before Ash.

"Well, I have decided! Ash, or whatever, I command you to temporarily serve as my servant! Glenn. Catch this kid for me!"

"Yes, Princess."

"What? Your nonsense… Are you even–– Ouch, owow!"

Glenn didn’t give Ash any chance to raise any objections and carried him under his armpit.

"Glenn, prepare to head back to the Silvanus.”

Veronica fliped back her cloak and left the room. Glenn, regardless of the resisting Ash, left following Veronica.

"Ironblood Valkyrie ~A.B.S.1365.5~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 1

2015-08-22T15:53:18Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 1 - Silver Knight */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Chapter 1 - Silver Knight==
=== Part 1 ===

Have you heard of it before?

Recently… A hero succeeded in preventing the monster called Necromancia from destroying the city of Ansarivan. According to witnesses, the hero seemed to be dressed in a silver-coloured Ark<ref>聖騎甲（アーク） Āku, lit. "Holy Rider Armour") - An unique set of armour Ark-Dragners receive from their Maestro.</ref>.

If not for the hero… The city probably would have already been in ruins. The worst possible situation is maybe the whole district… Err no. It would have not been surprising if the whole Ansarivan city were razed to the ground.

However, so far no one there knows the hero’s true identity.

As he was dressed in an Ark, so he must have been an Ark-Dragner.

His purpose was not to show off his skills and he did not ask for anything as a reward.

Ahh!!! He is such an honourable and noble person! The Knight of all Knights can’t be anyone apart from him!

So let's call him 'Silver Knight'.

From here on… We gradually announce the establishment of the SKFC (Silver Knight Fan Club)!

Anyone interested in becoming a member will be welcomed!

SKFC President Jessica Valentine (Advanced Course first year).

===Part 2===

"... So this is your first errand?"

Ash felt Eco looking at him from behind, so he turned around and nodded in response.

"Yeah, since I’m in charge of General Affairs."

There is a big bulletin board facing the staff room on the ground floor corridor of the campus. The surface of the board was completely disorganized and there were also some unauthorized posters. Ash felt dizzy by looking at it.

Right after the official ceremony had ended Ash immediately received an order from Rebecca.

During the school’s free time… The girls’ dormitory seemed to have established an organization named SKFC. There was a rumor that the posters, used for recruiting members, were plastered everywhere on campus.

Any absurd acts like this which were not recognized by the Student Council could not be left alone.

Ash's first errand as the Student Council’s General Affairs chief was to remove all the unauthorized posters.

The afternoon courses were going to start in thirty minutes. To make time, for a precious lunch break, Ash angrily tore off the posters.

"You're hopeless! Who does the Student Council think they are! First of all… I’m your rightful owner. No? So who allowed you to take orders from outsiders other than me?!"

"I think you've switched our standpoints around. I'm your owner... Anyway. Why are you here?!"

Only by now, did the dense Ash ask in amazement.

There will be classes that must be attended after the ceremony so they separated when leaving the boys' dormitory. Eco was just talking in her usual tone so Ash, without any hesitation, started chatting with her.

"Where is Cosette? Didn't I remind you, that during my lesson time, you have to look for her?"

"You-u...... You still haven't figured it out yet? You really are dense to the extreme!"

Eco puffed her cheeks and turned around in front of Ash.

Her skirt flipped up in midair and revealed a pinkish white thigh.

Looking at Eco’s delicate and charming appearance Ash’s heart skip a beat. Then, he finally noticed the difference.

Eco was not wearing her usual casual wear, but a school uniform.

"Just a moment! Why are you wearing our school uniform?"

"Cosette knew I wanted to look around the school… So she lent it to me."

"Oh, what a nice person Cosette is… WAIT! This school is for dragon breeders! Why are you, a dragon, here?!"

"I'm just very interested and wanted to know what things you are doing in this school. Cosette told me that I won’t need to worry about being found out while I am wearing this dress."

Cosette's devilish smile vividly emerged in Ash’s mind.

"Then… When is the lesson going to begin?”

"You also intend to attend class!?"

"Hmph. I just want to attend class! And you are not allowed to give opinions!"

"Thunk<ref>Sound of stomping.</ref>!" She stomped with a menacing manner and she straightened her chest.

"...... Alas."

It seemed that Eco had already made up her mind and nothing made her think twice.

Miserably, Ash could only continue to tear up those 'eyesore' posters.

===Part 3===

When the bell rang, Ash and Eco were still in the corridor on the ground floor.

“Damn! Now we need to rush to class!”

Ash ran while dragging Eco behind him.

"You shouldn't be hasty in front of a noble Dragon!"

This afternoon there was a scheduled lesson on Oracle<ref>竜媒魔法（オラクル） Orakuru, no translation for it. Literally means "Magic Dragon Medium".</ref>. This course was a compulsory subject specified by the Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Dragons regularly secreted a type of crystal, with magic, called Bright Dragon Crystals<ref>竜輝華晶 Ryūki-kashō </ref>.

Through the Bright Dragon Crystal the Oracle could be activated. Nowadays it was widely used in daily life by humans who did not have magic as a source of light and heat.

"Anyway... I have not seen you secrete a Bright Dragon Crystal."

There were many breeders who brought their pal’s Bright Dragon Crystal with them.

That was not only proof of their good relationship with their pal, but also acted as a talisman. When they ran into a dangerous situation… It could be used as a medium to activate their oracle.

Unexpectedly. Ash inadvertently made Eco blush.

"Tsk!... You better be careful or I will crush you! How can I casually expose those shameful things in front of others!"

Ash couldn't help but be surprised for a moment.

"Shameful? How shameful can it be?"

"Th-Those downright low things... How can I even be speaking of it!"

"Low? Bright Dragon Crystals are formed when excess magic is being crystallized. Even when seen… I think it is no big deal…!!! "

"You haven’t seen other dragons secrete their Bright Dragon Crystal before, right?"

"Who says so!? I ''have'' seen!"

Ash calmly replied.

"What!"

Eco looked like she felt a heavy blow, just like a thunderstrike.

"How could there be such shameless dragons!"

"Anyhow. This is a Dragon Riding Academy. Those incidents are quite common."

Eco stood still in disbelief.

"What you said... Is it really the truth?"

"Mmm. It's the truth. For some dragons, as long as you ask them, they would generously secrete it for you. Or else, after the practical skill lessons, you can see that it is all over the field."

"Su-Such a thing could even be happening! The blame should be put on the stupid and ignorant humans who tame dragons. Now the moral standards of a dragon have dropped this low. This situation is really serious... We dragons have undergone degradation."

"You might have had overestimated this problem! Is it really that serious?”

"The secretion of it, from a human request, or to secrete it anywhere... It's pretty outrageous! Although I don't deny that I inevitably will run into this kind of really intolerable situation… At least carelessly become incontinent<ref>To those who don’t know it means unable to restrain natural discharge of urine or feces.</ref>..."

"Incontinent? Why do you use that word to describe it? In the end, Bright Dragon Crystals are actually... "

Ash felt a chill in his heart.

Because Eco accidentally let it slip from her mouth… Ash would have been happier had he not heard the facts that he didn't need to.

-- ''Can I calmly face Bright Dragon Crystals in the future......?''

Ash stared blankly at Eco.

Perhaps she had misunderstood. Eco angrily shouted:

"I… I will not be incontinent!"

===Part 4===

Both of them hastily rushed to the second magic lecture room only to find out that Angela-sensei had not yet arrived.

Students in the classroom were chit-chatting excitingly.

Ash had suddenly lost all his strength, but this was a lucky outcome for him.

Dr. Angela Cornwell, who had the authority to research all dragons, had shown a strong interest in the young dragon Eco.

Recently Angela had made Ash and Eco suffer quite a lot.

If they were carelessly late for class... She might take the opportunity to cause them trouble and sternly order them to go directly to the dissection room.

Ash looked around intending to look for his friends.

At that moment, his eyes had fallen upon Silvia.

Silvia was sitting alone beside the wall.

She was unable to make friends due to her royal family background and otherwise difficult personality.

Although she had received the warm applause from all the students at the morning ceremony, which was a rare sight, but to be able to blend into the life of other students… Things like that did not happen overnight.

Ash felt his relationship with Silvia had become closer in the last month because of various unpredictable events.

-- ''I should try to sit beside her...''

Just as Ash tried to do this brave act.

"Hei!”

Suddenly someone pulled his sleeve. He was surprised and his thoughts returned to reality.

"Eco... Is there anything?"

"That's my line! What are you doing staring blankly?"

"No- Nothing... I wasn't in a daze.”

Ash quickly removed his gaze from Silvia.

Eco immediately showed an unhappy expression.

It's probably because she had seen his attention drawn towards Silvia just now. However. What reason was there for her to be upset?

Just when Ash was fully confused, his good-for-nothing friend Raymond Kirkland raised his hand.

"Yo, Ash, this way!"

Raymond had occupied the seat, in the last row beside the window, which was the best place to avoid the teacher’s sight.

"Angela-sensei hasn't arrived yet."

"This period was changed to homeroom<ref>Typically referred to as "Study Hall" or "Independent Study Time".</ref>! Looks like the staff meeting for this afternoon has been extended... Well, that's not important."

For Raymond, whenever he saw beautiful girls such as Eco, he instantly had a shortness of breath.

"Eco is here too! You were really cute at this morning’s ceremony. ……Urgh."

Having already suffered a straight punch from Eco, Raymond's face looked like he was going to heave.

Ash quickly stopped her from behind.

"Hey… Hey… What are you doing? Hitting people randomly!"

"... I just don't know why? I just get mad when I see him."

In the end… Ash had to separate both of them by sitting between Raymond and Eco.

"Hey. Ash...... What’s the situation right now?"

Even after enduring an iron fist, Raymond immediately sprang back to life and questioned Ash.

"Can't you see this with your own eyes? Of course she came here by force."

"She also looks nice in a uniform.... Are you really sure you don't want to have an exchange with my Brigid?"

Seeing Raymond’s perverted expression Ash could only shake his head and sigh.

"Do you want to be squashed to death by Brigid? Say, how come I didn't see Max?"

Ash only then noticed that Maximillian Russell, who was supposed to sit beside Raymond, was gone.

"Ohh. Max should be busy tearing down the posters, right?"

"Ehh-Eh?”

Max was in charge of the accounts and a proud member of the Student Council. But, to be removing illegal posters, it was fair to say that that was not a part of his job.

"You also know his personality. right?"

"Ha ha... It's hard not to imagine it."

Ash finally figured it out.

Max was very serious about hygiene. For example; When he saw someone appear even slightly messy he would very much like to clean them up. He had a personality where ‘his eyes cannot tolerate even a dust particle’ which caused others headaches. So, naturally, he had to interfere with the business of those illegal posters.

"Also, Raymond, there is something I've wanted to ask you."

"Anything?"

Ash, staring at Raymond's confused face, threw him a question that he had mulled since that morning:

"The ‘Silver Knight’. What is it, actually?"

"What? Are you kidding me?"

Raymond, suddenly raising his voice, shocked Ash.

The students around them glanced at them curiously.

Raymond, after an unnatural cough to clear his throat, whispered into Ash’s ear.

"You-u... The poster had stated clearly, didn’t it? The ‘Silver Knight’ is the hero who protected this town and prevented it from being destroyed by Necromancia’s attack. To summarize it……"

Raymond lowered his tone and said the decisive words:

"It's you!"

"Eeh…… Me!? It's me? Why?"

Ash stared dumbstruck at Raymond who had a displeased look on his face.

"Because you're the one who actually beat the Necromancia!"

"The problem is… Am I suitable a to have stylish name such as the ‘Silver Knight’? Anyway… Who is the one responsible for creating this title?!"

"This name is adapted from a novel. A shoujo novel called ''The Sky Dragon Knight Chronicles'', the protagonist is also known as the ‘Silver Knight’. Really popular among the girls."

"Oh......"

"From the eyewitnesses' testimony, at St. Durham<ref>(聖ダーラム) Named after "Durham" which is a city in northeast England.</ref> Square, the Dragner who rode Necromancia had an Ark. His coolness seems to be identical to the ‘Silver Knight’ in the story."

"That time the armour Eco manifested was indeed silver in colour..."

"No need to worry, fortunately, the academy has suppressed this information, only a few people know that the knight was you."

Raymond strangely felt a bit jaunty.

"If the secret is exposed... I don't know what will happen."

Raymond nonchalantly replied to Ash's question.

"Perhaps you'll run into your first and at the same time your last romantic encounter. I heard that during the school holidays the SKFC members exceeded a hundred people!"

"Is it true?!"

Of which Ash could not help but shout out loud...

"What Raymond said may not be a joke!"

The owner of that voice behind Ash was Max.

Max, with his nervous appearance, was the same as always. Compared to Ash and others, who appeared to look slightly untidy even when wearing their uniforms, he always tidied himself up just like a newly-enrolled student.

Underneath Max’s armpit was a stack of posters. Judging from the thickness… There were at least one hundred.

"I can't stand this any longer. These people really know how to create trouble."

Max sighed deeply as he somehow suddenly stood between Ash and Raymond.

"However, since the SKFC has been locked on to by Rebecca, they better be careful. Things like this will soon come to an end. Right? Moreover. This type of activity is impossible to maintain after a while."

After Ash had optimistically expressed his opinion… Max immediately stared sharply at him through his glasses.

"Wh-Why are you looking at me?"

"It appears that you still don't know the situation you're in. Listen, currently, it has been confirmed that there is a large chance that the ability of being a Breeder will be passed on to the next generation. The ‘Silver Knight’ is powerful enough to defeat that Necromancia. Moreover, he is also equipped with an Ark, which also proved that he is an Ark-Dragner."

"…... So?"

Max, just like Raymond, lowered his tone.

"Just in case someone knew that you are the ‘Silver Knight’…... the SKFC will do everything in their might to win your sperm."

"Since when did I become breeding stock<ref>(種馬) ''Taneuma''. Direct translation is breeding horse but it means a breeding medium or tool.</ref>?" 

"Stay cool. The SKFC members are originally Breeders. If they bear the child of the Silver Knight, there will be a great chance that the child will become an Ark-Dragner like his father. Though because of Xenoglavia’s<ref>(ゼノグラヴィア戦争) ''Zenoguravia-sensō''. I cannot find any reference for this name do tell me if anyone knew.</ref>War, the young people who intend to become a Dragner are decreasing...... but when it comes to an Ark-Dragner it's at a whole new level."

It sounded like a joke, for others who listened in, but Max spoke with a serious expression.

"If that being the case, I'll help you no matter what the reason is. I can't stand the Ash who has luck with the girls!"

"Raymond. It seems that we need to have a talk."

"No. I agree with what Raymond is saying."

"Not you too… Max!"

"Otherwise, you don't mind the SKFC knowing your secret?"

Ash was left speechless.

"Well. I...... Of course I don’t want them to know. Becoming popular with girls, with those impure motives, is nothing to be happy about."

"Hmm. I'm not really satisfied."

Eco suddenly snappily grumbled.

"To be honest… The reason you defeated Necromancia is only because of the Ark I created? But the one in the spotlight is only the knight…… That's why I always say humans are stupid and ignorant beings!"

"What Eco said is absolutely right."

Just when they were busy chit chatting with Max……

"Sorry for my interruption my fellow students!"

The classroom door suddenly opened with a "Bang!" A group of girls, dressed in the academy's uniforms, started to fill the classroom.

Their sudden entrance left the students speechless. Everyone’s attention was focused on the suspicious group.

There were a total of about twenty people.

The suspected leader of the group of girls stepped up to the lectern and her eyes swept over the classroom.

Ash couldn’t help but stare at her.

The girl’s posture had a temperament of nobility in it.

Her orange-yellow elegant curly hair rested in front of her chest. Her slender eyes emitted rays of sparks as if an emerging raging fire.

"I'm the President of the SKFC, Jessica Valentine!"

Having just announced her name… Jessica surveyed at the students around her with an elegant aura.

"Those, who have seen our posters, I think you already know of our aim, right? That's right; We're looking for ‘Silver Knight’-sama. That day during the Necromancia’s attack, being during the school’s off days, we deduced that there should be a lot of students who happened to be wandering by St. Durham Square, the combat scene. Now this classroom may have one or two witnesses……"

"Don’t you think you're asking too much?"

Silvia interrupted Jessica’s speech with a courageous and serious voice.

"Oh my, I wondered who it might be, and it turned out to be Oujo-sama<ref>(王女) ''Ōjo'', "Princess".</ref>."

Jessica's response made Silvia’s face turn black.

"I'm not speaking to you as the Princess, but as the Student Council’s disciplinary affairs member who is now giving you a warning! Do you not realise that you are destroying the school's discipline?!!!"

"Ha! Since you're not talking to me as a Princess then I won’t be branded as disrespectful when I argue with you, right?

Jessica's decision that she did not intend to make any concessions surprised others.

"Do you think your behavior is acceptable?"

"The school’s discipline compared to my ‘desire’ is simply nothing!"

"Well, if that's the case, might you speak out your ambition? I'm all ears."

Jessica immediately raised her head and announced as though she had already prepared for this:

"I want to give birth to ‘Silver Knight’-sama’s children!"

An awkward silence suddenly enveloped the entire classroom.

Obviously everyone was feeling disgusted with her direct declaration.

Even Silvia was stunned speechless.

A low profile student who was one of the followers finally broke the silence.

"President! Your speech violated club regulation article one hundred and twenty-seven!"

"Hmm…... As expected of Vice-President Lynette-san. Good job noticing. Please allow me to withdraw my previous declaration."

"Withdrawal of declaration has been confirmed!"

After he had listened to Jessica and Lynette, who spoke annoyingly rhythmically, Ash muttered:

"Th-That rumor......"

Raymond tried to pacify his concern for Ash:

"Carelessly resisting is suicidal… Ash. I heard that the Valentine Family is a traditional noble family."

Facing Raymond’s smile. Eco started to speak out loud:

"Oh. I really can’t stand those people any longer. The true face behind 'Silver Knight' is……"

"W-Wa-Wait! Eco!"

Ash quickly covered her mouth from behind.

"Mmm -!"

Eco struggled with all her limbs. In the eyes of others it looked like Ash was, hugging her from behind, not wanting to let go. Her body's tenderness and lovely feel made Ash blush, but, still, he must not let go.

Was it rare that the school was helping me to control the information? If my identity were revealed, in a place like this, all their hard work would go to waste.

"Back to the topic, Princess Silvia, it is true that we are making a list of people who were present at the incident."

"So……?"

"Princess. Your name is also on top of our list. Maybe you already know the true identity of ‘Silver Knight’-sama. Am I right?"

"Y-You. What are you talking about?!"

It seemed that the straightforward character of Silvia was not good at lying.

Silvia was obviously shaken when Jessica hit the bull’s eye.

It was a lie if she said she didn’t know, because at that time the one riding with her on Lancelot was actually the ‘Silver Knight’.

"Hey…... Ash? It seems the situation has gotten worse."

Ash had already stood up and was coming to Silvia’s rescue when Raymond warned him.

"Miss. I’m sorry, but currently, its still school hours."

The crowd’s attention immediately turned to Ash.

Silvia also looked at Ash with a surprised expression. Perhaps this was an illusion but it seemed that she had breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey. I remember that you are the Student Council’s……"

Ash mercilessly interrupted Jessica.

"Can you please leave the classroom immediately? Don't interrupt us in our lesson time."

The classroom fell silent.

Ash's determination caused the entire student body to gasp.

Unexpectedly. Jessica didn’t back down.

On the contrary… She was also smiling.

Compared with an undisguised expression that kind of smile was even scarier.

"Your name is Ash, right? A guy with no obvious achievements but still allowed to join the Student Council…... Hey, Vice-President Lynette? His name is on the list of people who were at St. Durham Square, isn’t it?"

Lynette, as though she had memorised the whole list, answered immediately without any hesitation:

"......Ash Blake, advanced course first year. Someone actually confirmed that he showed up near St. Durham Square!"

After hearing Lynette’s report, Ash broke out in a cold sweat.

"Speaking of this, people call you 'The Boy who can Ride any Dragon'. Could it be….... that you had possibly managed to ride the Necromancia?”

"……!"

A sudden hit at the bull’s eye left Ash speechless.

"It's just that ‘Silver Knight’-sama is a noble Ark-Dragner, and you…... Are nothing but simply a Breeder who is a nobody. People like you simply cannot be compared to ‘Silver Knight’-sama! Oh Hohoho!"

Fortunately Jessica just laughed at that thought. She would never have expected she was at the cusp of the truth.

"Not to mention your Pal ...... hee hee, it's funny just by thinking at it. She turned out to be a child. Even this morning's ceremony had a really fantastic finish."

"Wh-What did you say……!"

Upon hearing this Eco naturally became angry and tried to stand up to refute but……

"You!!! Don’t interrupt."

Ash immediately reached out and stopped her.

"Who do you think you are......"

Although she felt reluctant. Eco shut her mouth.

All the SKFC members were trembling under the pressure of Ash’s aura.

Although Ash was now a member of the Student Council… In the past he was none other than the infamous 'Number One Problem Child’.

And it was not a name given for nothing.

Jessica was also no different; She was the only one who was showing no sign of fear.

"Ash, stay calm! She's a noble!"

Raymond gave a out loud warning but Ash could not bothered by it.

"What is a noble to me when I even challenged a Princess!!!!!!"

"Ahh... You're right. I had totally forgotten all about it..."

Raymond looked into the distance with a crestfallen expression.

"How dare you insult my Pal...? What is the meaning of this? If you want to apologise… It's better that you do it right now!"

"Hah<ref>An insulting sound.</ref>! You are but a commoner and you dare to order ''me'' around!"

Ash and Jessica.

Each refused to back down and stared intently at each other.

Just when the tension reached its climax……

The classroom door was suddenly slammed open.

"So…... I see that you have been wandering around here. Jessica."

All the people in the classroom were attracted to the overwhelming presence everybody remained silent.

The one and only exception was Jessica.

"Rebecca! Y-Y…… You stay out of my way!"

Jessica unexpectedly kept her composure even when the opponent was Rebecca.

"He-Hey, that girl called Jessica... She really has some nerve? She actually dared to address Rebecca by her first name."

Raymond, opposite of the speechless Ash, calmly pulled out his notepad and made a quick flip.

"According to my information network…... Both of them seem to be childhood friends who grew up in the same hometown."

"You're still the same. Never missing out on any girl's information."

"Hmm…... You're wrong, Ash. It's limited to 'cute girls' only, okay?"

Raymond laughed proudly at his own work while Rebecca and Jessica's argument still continued.

"I would like to throw the question back to you, Rebecca, why are you here at 'this place'?"

"I came here to find the members of the Student Council…... It seems that you still continue with the same stupidity, Jessica."

"You've come at just the right time! Everyone listen carefully!!! We have confirmation the Student Council is controlling information about the St. Durham Square attacks! The Student Council went to all that trouble to cover up what? Does it imply that the Student Council has known ‘Silver Knight’-sama’s identity from the very beginning?"

"Even if it is the truth I am not obligated to tell you at all. I suggest you remember your duty as a student?"

"I have no intention of disturbing the class. I just simply urge everyone here to help us collect ‘Silver Knight’-sama’s information!"

"You're still the same. full of nonsensical reasoning......"

"I, the representative of the SKFC, request the Student Council to reveal that information to the public!"

After Jessica’s tenacious declaration. Rebecca gave a frightening expression.

"......In the beginning I didn’t want to cause you trouble, because you are my childhood friend, but it seems that I need to deal with this another way."

Under the gaze of her fierce-looking eyes Jessica felt that she was going to surrender and back off.

In the eyes of Ash, it seemed that, Rebecca’s back was full of red glowing aura.

"Wha-What…... the Student Council President even tried to use force to solve problems……"

Jessica could not help but shrink and take a few steps backwards.

"Too bad. To think that I even bothered to treat you nicely."

Rebecca, with a graceful smile, whispered into the ears of Jessica.

"Yikes!"

Jessica immediately started sweating, her back unnaturally bent.

Jessica headed down and rushed out of the classroom. The Vice-President, Lynette, and the other SKFC members quickly followed.

"Right. Silvia of Disciplinary Affairs, Accounts<ref>The original can mean treasurer and accounts but still I think CFO is better :).</ref> Max, and Ash of General Affairs. The three people mentioned please report to the Student Council’s office immediately. An emergency meeting is to be held. That is all."

Rebecca left after she had informed the others.

"An emergency meeting... Is something wrong?"

Ash asked, but Max was equally confused.

"The President came personally to inform you, but she also chose to do it during lesson time...... certainly it is no simple matter."

Seated, between Ash and Max, Raymond gave a rare worrisome look and murmured and grumbled.

"I’m so lonely. I didn't expect that even Ash would join the Student Council…... Damn. Why am I the only one left out?"

"Raymond ......"

"Fortunately, I still have Eco! Hey Eco, why don’t the two of us go have a cup of tea……? Urgh!"

With her superhuman strength, her iron fist knocked Raymond away.

"You shut up! Obviously I'm a member of the Student Council…... The woman dared to not mention my name and choose to ignore a noble Dragon? I will not forgive her!"

After Ash glanced at Raymond, who was stuck on the wall, he spoke a few words to calm Eco down:

"You are their 'mascot'. So you don't have to attend any meetings."

"Nothing to do with me?! Since you all wounded the pride of a Dragon… I will attend no matter what!" Eco cried.

===Part 5===

The Student Council office was located at the top of the school premises in the central tower.

Ash, Silvia, Max, and Eco were all walking towards the Student Council office.

Max who walked at a quick pace lead the way while the trio of Silvia, Ash and Eco walked together.

The formation was purely coincidental, but sandwiched in between Eco and Silvia, Ash didn't need any more reason to feel nervous.

"Why are we not there yet......?" Ash even had such thoughts.

Since it was still class time there were no other students in the corridor.

But since the staff meeting had yet to end, every classroom had changed into homeroom.

Even though the students of Ansarivan were possesed of high self-imposed standards , homeroom was still inevitably noisy, even the corridors were full of the sounds of laughter.

"By the way… There are two members we haven’t met yet."

While climbing stairs. Ash asked while facing Max’s back.

"Ahh…… The vice president and the secretary? I think both of them will not be attending this meeting."

After hearing Max’s answer, Silvia responded to it.

"I cannot turn a deaf ear in this case. Do both of them have any consciousness of being in the student council? Any jobs related to the social welfare of people need to be completed with full effort…… These are the family rules of the Lautreamont family!!!! Who do the vice president and the secretary think they are? "

"Plea- Please allow your humble servant to explain to thee...... Ahem! "<ref>This whole sentence is spoken in polite form.</ref>

Max, who wasn't used to being with Silvia, spoke in the polite form so that’s why he couldn't help but give an unnatural cough.

Max found out that conversation using the polite form didn't seem natural even though he was addressing the princess, after all both of them were members of the student council, and they were students of the same grade.

"The vice president is famous as one who only knows how to fool around, but that person's ability as a Dragner is obvious to all. That’s why the president will turn a blind eye. It's understandable."

Sure enough. Silvia was dissatisfied.

"How come there is such lax and insolent person! Since that person has an ability that the president acknowledges, but why is the vice president fooling around?"

"OK, OK, in this case since the president has acquiesced to it, complaining to Max will be useless."

Ash gently calmed Silvia down, but on the other hand he also agreed with her point of view.

"What kind of person is the secretary?"

Right after Ash asked Max answer with a mumbling tone.

"The secretary…... In short, is no ordinary pushover. Anyway, you'll meet sooner or later."

Speaking of which. They had arrived at the Student Council’s office. The topic regarding the vice president and the secretary came to a stop.

===Part 6===

"So let us begin our meeting."

Rebecca with her opening remark started the emergency meeting.

Ash was initially nervous, fearing that Rebecca would be unhappy with Eco who came without being invited, but in the end Rebecca didn't do or complain about anything.

Looking around, as Max had said, the vice president and the secretary seats were empty. So the secretary’s work was handed over to Max.

Although Ash was curious, about the vice president and secretary, in the end it was clearly not the right time to ask such questions.

The staff meeting had been extended and all classes were changed into homeroom, in this situation, it was not hard to figure out that something important had happened.

It seemed that it was really related to the attacks of the Necromancia?

Although he wasn't willing to make any assumptions...... but this still did not rule out the occurrence of more serious incidents.

"I believe everyone had also heard about the rumor……"

The members present held their breath to listen to Rebecca's announcement.

"Recently, with the girl’s dormitory as their base, the organization named SKFC is highly active in the shadows."

"I beg your pardon?"

An unexpected answer caused Ash to almost fall off his chair. At first he wondered what emergency or urgent event it was but he didn't think for one moment that it would be the SKFC……

While observing the other people's reactions Silvia and Eco looked on blankly. Max alone seemed to have become accustomed to it while Rebecca continued with her speech.

"What is the problem?"

Under Rebecca's glare Ash hurriedly corrected his sitting posture.

"Uh…... Because you said it was an emergency meeting… I thought it would be a more intractable problem."

"Take it easy, we are not at the main topic yet. SKFC is just a side problem to be discussed."

"I see…..."

Ash nodded to indicate his understanding. At this time Silvia suddenly raised her hand.

"What is the problem. Silvia?"

"I have something that I don’t understand. When president sent Jessica Valentine running off…..."

"Oh. I'd like to hear too."

Ash echoed Silvia’s question.

Rebecca took only a few words to send off that arrogant Jessica which made everyone curious what she whispered into Jessica’s ears.

"Oh, that thing."

Rebecca shrugged with a wry smile.

"As you know… She and I are childhood playmates. No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration if I say we are family. Since childhood she sees me as her rival…... In short, she hates to admit defeat."

"Just like family......? I have heard of the Valentines being a traditional noble family."

After Ash stated the information acquired from Raymond Rebecca could not help but burst out laughing.

"Oh... This is really an interesting rumor. Their family has been serving the family of Randall as house maids for generations. Just like the house of Shirley who serves the royal family of the Paladin<ref>Paladin. The king of Lautreamont knight country and also the highest class of all Dragner. Still, the interesting thing is that, the current king is not even a breeder.</ref>." Rebecca, with her eyes staring into a distance, murmured.

"That girl...... A maid?"

Jessica's glamorous figure and the word maid could not completely be combined. Ash was shocked.

"So. I threatened her…… 'If you continue to stir up trouble… Do not blame me if I announce the Valentine family’s background to the public.'"

From the look in her eyes it was like she was lecturing her useless little sister.

"But why did she lie that the Valentine family is of nobility?"

Silvia seemed completely unable to understand Jessica’s thinking.

"Jessica from time to time likes to daydream, she had a particular strong sense for nobility, and now she even seriously believes her family is from a royal linage...... you just need to take it as a disease that can be commonly seen in the adolescence years."<ref>Referring to [http://animanga.wikia.com/wiki/Chuunibyou 中二病/ちゅうにびょう/Chuunibyou]</ref>

"So that is how it is......"

With the misunderstanding cleared up Ash felt relieved.

At the same time after learning that the Valentine’s were maids, Ash subconsciously began to imagine Jessica wearing a maid costume.

That insufferably arrogant girl with a feel of nobility… When putting on maid attire to serve her master, somehow it doesn't feel bad…… Ash cannot help but fantasizing Jessica’s graceful appearance.

"Hey…... What are you thinking?"

When he returned back to consciousness… He felt a painful sting on side of his cheek.

Eco, somewhat forcefully, had slapped Ash’s face.

"No, nothing, I am not thinking of anything…..."

Ash face is full of embarrassment.

"Are you're thinking of some improper image?"

"Urgh. I'm also thinking the same thing."

Even Silvia, also supporting Eco's viewpoint, questioned Ash.

"I think there is an eighty percent chance that he most likely imagined Jessica wearing a maid attire."

After Rebecca's cheeky outspokenness of her own view… Ash suddenly turned pale.

"Ho-How do you know?"

"Oh. I managed to guess it? I am just speaking from my woman's intuition…"

Rebecca seems happily laughing.

Ash feels a murderous intend behind and quickly turns around to look back.

"Have you forgotten that I am rearing you……? And yet you still dare to have fantasies of those females...... You cannot be forgiven! Don’t you think you lack self-consciousness?"

Eco’s fist is shaking.

"How dare you have any perverted thoughts of the other students attending school…... How shameless! All enemies of women must taste the iron hammer of death!"

Silvia was flushed with anger.

"Wa-Wait! It is just that I was distracted for a moment! Besides. Why do you need to be angry with me because of these things?"

"I'm gonna trample you!"

"The inviolable family rules!"

Eco's kick and Silvia's punch hit Ash at the same time.

"……”

After Ash stumbled back to his seat, the meeting continued to proceed as usual, like nothing had happened.

"President…... I would like to ask. "

Silvia asked.

"What is the problem. Silvia?"

"Just now you say that Jessica has taken you as her rival...... Is her ability that amazing? Jessica Valentine this is the first time I heard her name…..."

Silvia has a good reason to doubt.

Rebecca is not just only an Ark Dragner but also the president of the school’s student council.

She is undoubtedly the strongest Dragner in the whole Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy. Even the Professors or the practical skill instructors can only admit defeat when it comes to Rebecca.

To take Rebecca as her rival. No matter how you think of it, it is not normal.

"Jessica ...... in fact, is very motivated for her own self improvement, but she is always futile or she is very persistent in doing things that are meaningless. I cannot deny that she is one of those ‘who are able to overcome all kinds of hardships if you just put in effort' ...... "

To be able to be praised by Rebecca, regardless of her written performance<ref>Could probably mean test results.</ref>, maybe she is someone who really has some skill.

"In conclusion. The SKFC, that Jessica leads, wants to expose the true identity of the 'Silver Knight'. If their objective was only this we can leave them be. But what they desire is not just this, when given the opportunity, they would like to obtain the sperm of the ‘Silver Knight’."

"Spe-Spe……!"

Silvia suddenly blushed. Her movement become very unnatural. Seeing her being so shy, Ash also cannot help but feel embarrassed.

"What is it that they want? Is it delicious?"

Unlike Silvia… Eco is only confused.

"Nothing. You need not know such a thing." Ash said.

"Even you know, as your owner, is it not logical that I don't know!"

"What sort of reasoning is that?!!!!"

"Hmph, even if you do not want to tell me, I still have the dragweiss!"

Eco, like entering a trance, suddenly closes her eyes.

For dragons, that have a longer history than humans, can search for information dating back centuries.

"Wha ... What!"

After just a few seconds… Eco’s whole face is blushing as if she was on flame.

At the same time she turned very angry.

"Are you kidding!? Ther-There are actually such a large number of female animals trying to access…... this guy’s…... Spe-Spe......? That’s why I said… Humans are stupid and ignorant fools!"

Eco seems to be ashamed and embarrassed to enunciate that word. It is rare that Eco is blushing exactly like Silvia.

"Hmph…... it seems that the word 'obscene' needed to be added at the back of 'stupid and ignorant'.
"This human sounds really nasty!"

"Stupid, ignorant and obscene humans!"

"You do not need to repeat! It is hard to pronounce!"

"Then you should kneel down and apologise. I will remove the word 'obscene'. I’ll let you represent all mankind. This opportunity is not easy to get you know!?"

[[Image: Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v2 p064.jpg |thumb|Stupid, ignorant and obscene humans!]]
"I will not represent this!"

Ash angrily complained, but Rebecca coughed loudly with "Ahem".

Suddenly back to reality, cold sweats emerge from Ash.

Disregarding the meeting, Ash and Eco, both of them are arguing.

"So-sorry ...... Hey you come and sit down."

"Hmph. Don’t you order me......!"

Eco wanted to sternly reject, but halfway she closed her mouth. While staring at Rebecca's face… Her expression was like she had seen a wild bear in the forest.

Followed by Eco, Ash's sight drifted towards Rebecca. Facing her. Ash felt the same chill in his spine.

"Are you satisfied?"

Even while Rebecca was smiling… Her eyes definitely are not smiling in the slightest.

"I- I understand ......"

Eco is reluctant to sit down on her seat. Perhaps her animal instinct makes her detect Rebecca unfathomable terror.

"Back to the main point, about SKFC, in all cases, we will be focusing and paying more attention to prevent them from finding out the identity of the ‘Silver Knight’."

Under Rebecca’s glare everyone nodded.

"But fortunately they thought ‘Silver Knight’ is an Ark Dragner, which Eco needs to be thanked for in making the Ark. So SKFC should be less likely to target Ash, who has not become a Dragner. Even I, until now, failed to fully understand how Eco managed that."

"Hmmm. Manage? It is good that you understand how great that is!"

As her previous fear disappeared… Eco started to act arrogant again.

"In short… Jessica is not the kind of person who would easily give up, so you should be careful in this case. Anyway, the secret of the Valentine family, please do not expose it. After all that’s been her secret since her enrolment in this academy. It would be harsh on her if it were to be exposed…… Now on to the main topic."

Rebecca placed her elbows on the table with her fingers overlapping, then she gently lift up her beautiful chin.

Ash noticed that Rebecca was worrying about something.

How tough was the problem that Rebecca was facing?

"The thing is… I received a message… The first princess of Lautreamont, Veronica Lautreamont, will be coming to Ansarivan to visit for a week."

After they heard this news, everyone knew the seriousness of this situation. They all suddenly turned solemn and silent, but right at the next second……

"Noooooo……!"

Silvia was moaning abnormally.

"What's wrong, Silvia?"

Rebecca was concerned about Silvia, but she did not answer.

"An-Anee-ue sh-she’s...... A tyrant...... "

The change in Silvia startled the others.

"Is she really coming to Ansarivan?"

Silvia was trembling and turned pale as if the end of the world was coming. She huddled up and hid under the table. She was shaking with her hands protecting her head.

Silvia, who was usually always energetic, actually had a timid side–– Even when Ash had already known this fact, it was still hard to imagine that Silvia would act like this.

"Are you alright, princess?"

As he was looking under the table, Ash remembered First Princess Veronica Lautreamont's moniker…

She was called the ‘Ironblood Valkyrie’.

"The Legend of Silver Knight ~A.S.B.1365.5~" closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Epilogue

2015-08-22T15:47:57Z

Platypi4E4: /* Epilogue */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

==Epilogue==
===Part 1===
Year 1356 A.S.B. The month of Aeries.

Inside the deep forest is a meeting of a boy and a girl.

===Part 2===
Not long after her seventh birthday, Silvia had departed from Fontaine City and had arrived at Albion Forest.

Albion Forest- A holy place where the mother dragon resides.

Needless to say, she came here for the Orphan Ceremony which was an obligation stated by the Royal Knight Family.

Once a person was selected by the mother dragon, he or she would become a Breeder.

Silvia had sworn that she would return as a Breeder.

She was unable to forget about the sudden disappearance of her brother.

As the heir to the throne, Julius who was granted the title Dragner at his teens was being called the Dragon Slayer.

According to the rumours, Julius had killed his Pal. However, Silvia was not able to understand why her gentle brother would commit such a
crime.

Silvia really would like to question her brother face to face.

With those thoughts, she challenged the Orphan Ceremony…

===Part 3===
<ref>Since they were children, all of the conversation language used were quite simple. If there were to be any tough language used it would be because of the translation.</ref>
“Stoooooop!”

Although her determination was touching, Albion forest is not as easy as it seems.

The trees were so high that they reached the skies and the air around was humid.

The rotting leaves and the dirt didn’t give a pleasant smell.

Every time she saw a rat, a snake or even a spider, she would run away crying. Although she yearns to be a knight, Silvia was really timid.

In the end, she fell and twisted her leg.

The pain was so immense that she couldn’t even take another step.

“''*Sob*''…”

Her only support was a stuff toy that was brought with her as a lucky charm.

It was a very important stuff toy to Silvia.

It was called Lancelot. A few years before, when she went to Arkham the capital of the Chevron Kingdom, she had gotten it at the market there.

She thought that Lancelot was cute but that was not the case for the people around her. Even the maids who served her said that Lancelot doesn’t look like a dragon.

Her tears were starting to flow out.

The Orphan Ceremony was about to end and she will have to go home empty handed.

''“*Sob*…*Sob*…”''

She hated her incompetence. Even though she knew that she must not remain at this place, her legs were ignoring her will.

Just when she started crying, there was rustling in the bushes in front of her.

“Hic…”

A boy appeared in front of Silvia who was trying to run away. Like Silvia he must have been one of the attendees of the Orphan Ceremony.

The boy walked towards Silvia and stretched out his hand.

“Are you hurt?”

The boy asked without hesitating but was scolded by Silvia. To Silvia, the boy’s words hurt her pride as a royal princess.

“N-No!”

But the situation seemed to be the other way round. Silvia looked to be in pain when she tried to stand and at the same time, Lancelot
fell onto the ground.

“…Huh?”

The boy picked up Lancelot with a look of surprise.

“Is this… a Chimera?”

“A dragon!”

Silvia with red cheeks objected and tried to grab Lancelot back.

“Haha…So it is a dragon. My bad.”

The boy showed a bitter smile. He then turned around and kneeled down.

“…What kind of a behavior is this!”

Silvia was not able to understand what the boy had in his mind.

“Isn’t it obvious? I am going to bring you to the entrance of this forest.”

“What! Doesn’t this mean that I am going back? And didn’t it also mean that I am going to give up on this Orphan Ceremony?”

The boy nodded his head as if that was the most obvious thing to do.

“Of course. How can you even search for a dragon with an injured leg?”

“Shut up!”

Silvia’s scold gave the boy a shock.

“I-I need a Pal! Going back is out of the topic!”

“What is the thing that you call Pal?

Silvia was in rage when she saw the boy stare at her confusedly.

“A-As a citizen of the Knight Country, how can you not know what a Pal is! Remember this! A Pal is a dragon who would become your
partner! It is a sacred word!”

“R-Right…”

But Silvia did not intent to end it just like that.

“By the way, what are you even doing? Since you have time to mind about me, why don’t you spend your time looking for dragons? Could it be
that, you…?”

“W-What about me?”

Silvia approached him. The boy’s face was red from embarrassment and he looked away.

“Or maybe you are just pretending to search? Recently, I had heard rumours that spiritless children like you were increasing…

“About that… I also want to meet a dragon… I think?”

Although his words don’t match with each other, Silvia had at least forgiven him.

“Then, let’s go! I will now tell you my family motto! Listen carefully!”

Silvia straightened her back and spoke in a loud voice.

“A knight’s pride is with his dragon!”

“Hold on! If I am to look for the dragon, what about you? Won’t you be lonely?”

Silvia turned silent. The word ‘lonely; had pierced through her heart.

“Tsk… You really shouldn’t act strong.”

“But… To give up because of some injuries…. Never! That will never happen to me!”

The boy laughs.

“Now I understand. You wanted an Orphan no matter what, no?”

“That's it.”

“If that’s the case, then there is only one option left.”

The boy clenched his fist as he stared at Silvia.

His gallant looks made Silvia’s heart skipped a beat.

“We will look for the mother dragon together. I will give you a piggyback.”

Silvia was lost in words.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Once again, the boy turned around and knelt down. Silvia continued to doubt for a moment but she was finally able to make up her mind.

Her heart was beating quickly when their bodies were touching against each other.

“Let’s go!”

The boy started walking with Silvia on his back.

===Part 4===
…The dream ends.

In Epona House the girls’ dormitory for the advance class students.

At the top most floor, in a room specially designed for royals, Silvia slowly opened her eyes.

The night had ended and the morning rays pierced through the gaps in the curtains.

Silvia sat up after rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Stop, Princess-sama… That is bad…”

Sleeping on a bed next to her, Cosette was having a weird dream.

Silvia was having a headache thinking what kind of a dream she was dreaming.

“…Dream?”

Not long after her seventh birthday, Silvia had visited Albion Forest.

She met a boy there.

“…”

Silvia unbuttoned her pajamas and exposed her bare chest.

Her Seikoku was imprinted at the middle of her chest.

It was about the size of her palm and was looked similar to the ancient language.

Silvia touched her Seikoku.

“I wonder when he is…?’

She felt nostalgic.

“That being said…”

Before parting, Silvia gave the boy her Lancelot.

It was to show him her gratitude.

She also hoped that the boy will never forget about her.

Although her memories of that time was not clear, she could still clearly remember that the boy took it with a smile.

===Part 5===
It had been three days since the attack on Ansarivan.

According to Ash and Eco, the dragon who caused all this trouble was called a Necromancia.

There were about thirty people injured in this incident and luckily there were no casualties.

As for the building, four of them were totally destroyed and one was half destroyed.

St Durham Square was temporarily closed to the public while the restoring works were on going.

Thinking carefully, this kind of destruction is a miracle considering the amount of magic that the Necromancia possessed.

Of course, these were all thanks to Ash and everyone’s effort that had minimized the destruction.

The investigation on the Necromancia had only started.

===Part 6===
In Ansarivan, there was a tradition where friends will celebrate the birth of a Pal.

It was also known as the Pal Party.

Usually, every person’s Pal was born on their first year in the basic class.

However, Ash’s Pal never born during the three years of his basic class years and he was now an advance class student.

It seemed that he had forgotten about this tradition.

The attack from the Necromancia had given them a day off by the academy.

It was Rebecca who suggested organizing a Pal Party.

Although Ash was very grateful, his room was in a total mess. Max had cleaned it for him a month before but it had returned to its original
state.

“Alright… I guess we have to clean it until tonight.”

Ash started dusting.

If it was Max, it would have been done in just a few moments. Max would probably clean it with great vigour the moment he saw his room.
However, Max was injured and Ash shouldn’t be asking for his help.

“Zzz… Zzz….”

Right now was the time for Eco to take her afternoon nap. Ash continued with his cleaning.

First, Ash threw away all the rubbish that was lying on the floor. He then made up his mind to throw away all the unwanted things too.

Next, he took out all the unwanted clothing and book from the closet that he no longer needed.

“…Huh?”

Ash suddenly stopped cleaning.

Something strange had fallen out from the closet.

“Stuffed toy?”

Ash didn’t not have any habits of collecting stuffed toys. To say nothing of the stuffed toy that didn’t look cute at all.

On a second though looked a little like a dragon but somehow, he felt that it looked more like a Chimera that appears in myth.

Ash scratched his head.

“Err… What is this thing…? I can’t remember at all.”

Ash could vaguely remember that this toy was important to him. But he couldn’t remember why it was important at all.

“Anyway, I better leave it in the closet. They would be sure to laugh at me if they saw it.”

===Part 7===
Ash continued to clean his room until the evening.

“…Almost done.”

Ash’s voice had woken up Eco from her afternoon nap.

“Hey! You are irritating! “

Ash replied patiently.

“Whatever the case, today’s party is for me and you. There will be many things to eat.”

Rebecca was in charge of the food for the party. Everyone was looking forward to it.

“…Eh? Really?”

Eco became wide awake the moment she heard that there will be many foods.

“…Ash, it’s me.”

Rebecca’s voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

“Coming!”

Ash ran to open the door.

“Hallo Ash. Have you done with your cleaning?”

Rebecca asked an important question the moment they meet.

“H-How did you know!?”

“Naw… I just have a hunch. Well, well, I also brought an important guest with me.”

Silvia was hiding behind Rebecca’s back.

“…Princess-sama!?”

“I didn’t really intend on coming but I was dragged here by the president. It is not like what it seems!”

Silvia was scolding him the moment they met.

Ash suddenly had a strange feeling. After noticing it, his heart was pumping up and down nonstop. The Silvia right now was not wearing her
usual Dragsuit but an evening dress.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 245.jpg|thumb]]

“Huhu… I came here because I haven’t seen Princess-sama being this interesting for a long time. By the way, the Princess took three hours
to choose her dress.”

Cosette was laughing from Silvia’s back.

“S-Shut up!”

Silvia turned red.

With Rebecca, Silvia, Cosette and non the least Eco when she was quiet, Ash’s room was full of beautiful girls.

“Hey! Don’t forget about us! We won’t be missing out from such a nice event!”

However, Raymond’s voice had brought him back from paradise. Right beside Raymond, stood Max.

“Keeping an eye on the president was also a job for me who is in charge of the accounts. I am not here for the celebration!”

Max was no better than Silvia. When did the job of keeping an eye on the president had fallen on the person who keeps tracks of the
account.

Both Raymond and Max were holding a huge bag. They were probably using it as an excuse to join the party.

With that, the Pal Party begins.

===Part 8===
Lights powered by Bright Dragon crystals had brighten up the room.

Many foods for the party had been lined up on the table. One of the best few was roast chicken with herbs. Eco felt like she was dreaming.

“Glup!”

Suddenly her eyes rolled in agony.

“Hey! Do you have heartburn? You shouldn’t have eaten too much of fatty food.”

Ash gave a wry smile.

“It is not like I have a choice. It was because the chicken was too delicious!”

“Please don’t push the blame to the chicken.”

“Alright, alright. There are still many more chickens. Anyway, Eco is our main character for today. Just eat as many as you like.”

Ash turned confuse once he heard what Rebecca had said.

“Huh? Isn’t it me who is the main character?”

“Hmm, now I remember. I totally forgot about it after I saw how Eco eats.”

Rebecca made a bitter smile.

‘No matter when it is, cuteness is always justice. A bastard like you should just move aside!”

Raymond spoke of a terrible thing casually.

“A healthy room means a healthy life… What a bunch of work to be done.”

Every time Eco finished the food on her plate, Max would definitely clean it away.

“The dragon is the symbol of our country. That is why Eco is our main character.”

“Hmm….”

Only Cosette was smiling while bringing them new bottles of drinks.

===Part 9===
After some time, everyone was getting dizzy and most of the people stopped speaking. Raymond and Max were fast asleep.

“Huff…”

Eco who had satisfied her stomach was almost asleep.

“Are you sleepy?”

Ash asked but he was scolded by Eco.

“Hmph… What did you take me as…? I still want to eat…”

Although she stubbornly tried to stay awake, she could not resist the urge to sleep. Ash could only carry her and place her on the bed.

Even so, it was weird for Raymond who usually stays up late to fall asleep this early. Also, it was unnatural for Max who valued his pride
highly to sleep unprotected in front of everyone.

“…Nnn?”

By taking a closer look, their faces were red.

“About that… Rebecca-san, what actually is in this bottle?’

Rebecca calmly took the bottle.

“ Muscat <ref>A type of grape.</ref>juice. A popular product from Asarivan. What about it?”

“…Juice?”

Ash gave a wry smile. Anyone would have known if they just read the label on the bottle.

Anyway, it was a party night. It wouldn’t matter much.

The problem is, even though they had emptied three bottles of "juice", Rebecca’s face never show a hint of change.

“Hey! The '''simpleton''' over there!”

Suddenly, someone was smacking his back.

Being called a simpleton is not something he fancied.

Ash had a bad feeling. When he turned around, he found out that Silvia was glaring at him.

“What’s the matter?”

Silvia was obviously drunk.

The hem of her dress was in a mess and her inner thighs could be seen. Her face was red and her eyes were watery.

“To begin with, since a long time ago, I had started to hate you!”

“…Huh?”

“Why can you ride on another student’s Pal? Isn’t it weird? What the hell is with ‘The boy who can ride on any dragon’! You are bending the
law of nature!”

“I-I also don’t know…”

Ash glanced at Rebecca in hope that she come to his help. Unfortunately, Rebecca was searching for a bottle opener with Cosette while she was
holding a new bottle.

“Don’t look around when someone is talking to you! This is from my family motto!”

Silvia was crawling towards Ash. Ash could see her cleavage.

Silvia may look like a slender type but in fact, her size was giving Ash trouble.

“Since you are born with such great talent, why don’t you work hard in your studies? No matter how much talent you posses, you won’t turn
out successful if there is no hard work!”

“You are completely right…”

After Ash gave a simple reply, Silvia swallowed a full cup in a one-go and started spurting nonsense.

“The worst thing is…. Why would I even be bothered by a problem child like you…?”

“…Eh?”

“You can never be compared with '''that boy'''.”

“…That boy? Who is he?”

Silvia’s slip of her tongue had caught everyone’s interest.

“This is totally unexpected. For there exist a boy who is able to stole Her Highness’s heart. By all mean, could you please tell us who
the lucky guy was?”

Rebecca was totally into it.

“Eh? T-This… That…”

Silvia seemed to be in a pinch. Her face turned from red to white. Suddenly, she was no longer drunk.

“N-Nothing! Just forget about it!”

“How could it be nothing? Your face moments ago looked just like the face of a girl in love.”

“I-I never make such a face!”

“That’s impossible. Nothing can deceive this Rebecca onee-san’s eyes. Well, the night is still young. Why don’t you tell us more about the
boy?”

“If you are talking about such a topic, I must also take part in it.”

Cosette immediately approached Silvia. Right now, Silvia was totally surrounded and was shaken.

“T-That is a story from a long time ago…”

Silvia was red in her face and her eyes kept wondering around.

“Alright, alright. We won’t question you anymore. By the way, I would like to tell you the reason for me to organize this party.”

Her smile disappeared and was replaced by a serious look. Both Ash and Silvia exchange glances and there was no longer a relax feeling in
the party.

Both Ash and Silvia straighten their bodies and sat properly.

“During that incident, I was sad that the student council didn't have enough man power. By including me, right now there are only four
members in the student council. That is why I would like to invite the both of you to join the student council.”

This was the second time Ash was invited.

Silvia was the first to reply:

“Lancelot and I will gladly join. I will not let such a thing happen another time. During that incident, there was nothing that I was able to do…”

“Hey! How you dare act humble! Without you and Lancelot,the one who was not able to do anything was me.”

“Shut up! You don’t even know how I feel.”

Ash tried to comfort Silvia but it came to an opposite result.

“You are always steps in front of me! Do you even know what you had done? For example, although your Ark was a mimic…. But you were still an Ark Dragner at that time!”

Ash finally realized after it was mentioned.

“So I see…”

Ash’s innocent answer was adding oil to fire.

“Are you making fun of me!”

“Calm down both of you. I am right to say that the Princess’s reply was OK?”

Rebecca changed the topic and stare at Silvia intently.

“Yes! I will do my best! By the way… I want you to call me by my name. At least at the Student Council, please call me Silvia. I don’t want to be treated like a princess.”

Rebecca nodded in satisfaction.

“Understood. What about you, Ash?”

“Me…?”

Just as he was speaking, he felt an immersed pressure coming from beside.

It was Silvia who was glaring at him as if she was telling him not to hesitate.

“A-Alright! I will join!”

Although he felt that he was forced to join, he could only move forward step by step since he had made his promise.”

“I am grateful for both of you! Then let us proceed to the simple welcoming ceremony.”

“Huh?”

Just when Ash was confused, Rebecca made her move. Her lips were placed on Ash’s face. He could clearly feel her heat and smell.

“President…?”

Ash who had not yet recovered looked at Rebecca as her lips left his face. It was probably because of the shock, he somehow felt that her eyes were charming.

“Hey! You call yourself a man from the Knight Country? Tsk…”

“Hold on! You as my dog how dare you acting all lovey dovey with all these females!”

It was Eco voice that had over shadowed Silvia’s. Though she had been sleeping before this, right now, she was like a raging ball of fire.

It was rare to see that Eco and Silvia agrees with each other. But it was Rebecca who stepped forward and protected Ash.

“Now I see… Both of you are jealous.”

Eco and Silvia were in lost of words when Rebecca hits the bull’s eyes.

“N-Never! I would never be shaken by such a trivial matter!”

“T-That’s right! Jealousy only exits in the feelings of the dumb humans!”

Seeing that Eco and Silvia were trying to explain themselves out from this mess, Rebecca roared in laughter.

“Huhu. It feels quite nice toying with both of you.”

After saying, Rebecca kissed Eco and Silvia on their cheeks.

“…!”

Eco and Silvia were silenced.

“Alright! With this, the ceremony ends. Welcome to the student council!”

Right after Rebecca declared…

“P-President…”

A weak voice like an old man came from behind Ash. Max who had woken up was looking at them.

“During the time when I join the student council, why wasn't there any ceremony… ''Ouch!''”

The glass that Rebecca was holding smashed into his forehead.

Max fainted immediately.

Ash who witnessed the entire incident felt shivers.

Rebecca continued to smile as if nothing had happened. Ash felt as if he was seeing a devil.

“Well, both of you should have known Max from the accounts. As for the vice president and the secretary I will introduce them to you on
another day. Although both of them are a little hard to deal with, they are nothing lest from a great Dragner.”

When Ash heard the words ‘a little hard to deal with’ instinct told him it was nothing good. Thinking again, only Rebecca and Max were present during the Necromancia’s attack. What kind of students are they to make Rebecca describe them as ‘a little hard to deal with’.

But Ash’s attention was averted.

“Cheers!”

Cosette happily filled everyone’s glasses with an amber colour liquid.

“Thank you.”

The last person that Cosette went to was Angela. Cosette was not at all surprise and continued to fill up her glass.

But Ash was shocked.

“Hold on! Why are you here!”

''When did she manage to get in?''

He definitely could not feel her presence until just a moment ago.

“Eco-chan and Ash-kun are both precious sample for my research. Since I am not allowed to dissect, I could at least do some close observation.”

Angela then smiled coldly to them.

“I had heard of all of your good deeds at St Durham Square. Now, I must listen to the details from you.”

After gulping down the entire glass of wine, Angela’s cheeks turned rosy. In an instant, her cold attitude disappeared and was replaced by an adult feel.

However, there was not a hint of smile coming from her eyes. It gave the feeling of being dissected by them. Ash felt as if he was a frog being targeted by a snake.

Without knowing what Ash was thinking, Eco and Silvia scolded at the same time:

“Hey! Why are you being attracted by this female!”

“Are you even a man of the proud Lautreamont Knight Country!”

Eco and Silvia took Ash as being falling in love. He however was innocent to begin with.

“The nonsense will stop here.”

Rebecca raised her voice.

She stood up majestically and gracefully lifted her glass.

“For the new members who joined the student council…. Cheers!”

The night had just begun.

"The Knight of ECO I" is closed.

<noinclude>==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Illustrations|Volume 2 Novel Illustrations]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3

2015-08-22T15:46:29Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 3 - Necromancia's Attack */ Minor 'US to British' English edits

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

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

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

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

And Ash was staying with such a beautiful girl.

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

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

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

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

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

Raymond’s eyes widen.

“Student council…? Why?”

“Err, the president asked for me.”

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

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

“I have nothing to say to you…”

“Err… did ''it'' goes well?”

“What is ''it''?”

Ash asked while Raymond pushed his face nearer.

Raymond was looking totally serious.

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

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

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

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

Raymond smile sinisterly.

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

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

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

“Urgh…”

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

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

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

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

“Please enter.”

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

“Sorry for interrupting.”

He timidly opened the door and walked into the office.

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

“Ahhh, Ash. You finally came!”

Rebecca turned around and stared at Ash.

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

“Err…”

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

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

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

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

“Y-Yes…”

Ash sat at a corner of the sofa, frightened.

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

Ash was uneasy.

“That…”

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

However, Rebecca showed a playful smile.

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

“I-Is it…?”

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

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

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

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

“True value?”

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

Rebecca suddenly stopped smiling and moved towards the main topic.

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

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

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

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

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

“So Rebecca-san also thinks so?”

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

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

“Uwaa! It must be troublesome…”

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

“It is true…!?”

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

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

“W-What are you talking about?”

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

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

“Err…About that…”

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

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

Rebecca’s face was getting closer and closer.

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

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

“Alright, I guess.”

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

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

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

“Take it slowly, there are many more.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly, Silvia pressed her hands against her chest.

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

Her memories when she was seven came into her mind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Tsk, what a child you are.”

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

“Speaking of that…”

Silvia was thinking about Ash.

The only student who dared to challenge Silvia Lautreamont.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“A dragon has gone mad!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Observe…”

Ash couldn’t hide his sad looks.

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

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

Ash with a ‘Hah’ lifted his head.

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

“In the end, just who are those two?”

The masked man called Milgauss with an extraordinary temperament.

The girl who wanted to have Ash killed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

-That war.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That…!”

Seeing that Ash had turned pale, Rebecca smiled.

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

“That… It is you, Rebecca-san.”

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

“Even me?”

“Yes, even you.”

Rebecca pressed forward and their shoulders were touching each other.

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

Ash was shocked by the unexpected invitation.

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

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

“But…!”

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

“No, that exaggeration is…”

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

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

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

Rebecca’s body heat could be felt by Ash.

Ash’s heart was at the verge of exploding.

“To be exact, I want you.”

“Rebecca-san…”

“Can you please think about it?”

“No, but… If I… The student council-”

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

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

“Level two emergency state…?”

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

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

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

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

Rebecca gave a wry smile.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is bad!”

Rebecca suddenly shouted.

“Princess-sama…!”

Ash’s eyes widen.

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

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

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

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

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

Ash mumbled:

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

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

“Me?”

Ash couldn’t understand what Rebecca was saying.

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

“Just because of such things…”

Ash frowned.

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

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

“There is no need for that.”

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

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

“About that…”

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

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

“So, what should we do…?”

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

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

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

“I will end this quickly.”

With that, Rebecca disappeared.

“Rebecca-san!”

Rebecca jumped down from the window.

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

''“Answer my summon…Cú Chulainn!”''

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

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

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

Cú Chulainn roared in respond to Rebecca’s summon.

There was light surrounding Rebecca’s body.

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

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

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

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

“That is… the Ark!”

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

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

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

''Whoosh!''

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

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

“Kyaaa!”

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

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

“Princess-sama!”

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

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

“Ash, Her Highness is in your care!”

“Huh?”

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

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

“Uwaa!”

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

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

“…”

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

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

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

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

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

An Ark was not just simply an armour.

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

''“Gáe Bolg!”''

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

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

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

===Part 6===

“Uuh…”

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

“Wha…! What are you doing…!”

She was blushing.

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

The moment he warned, Silvia fell.

“Urgh… What are you doing!”

Silvia was glaring at Ash with tears in her eyes.

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

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

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

“…Princess-sama?”

“Urgh…!”

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

“What is the matter, Princess-sama…?”

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

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

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

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

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

“The crepes are calling out to me!”

With this reason alone, Ash went out with Eco.

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

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

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

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

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

“Kyaa!”

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

“Sorry, it was my bad!”

Ash immediately held out his hand.

“No… Me too. Because I am careless…”

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

The moment she saw Ash, her face stiffen.

“Y-You…”

Her eyes widen.

“Is there anything… On my face?”

“Nooooo!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Give me one Ansal Crepe!”

“Stop!”

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

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

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

“That’s impossible!”

''He should have been dead.''

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

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

“No, that’s not it!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What should I do…”

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

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

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

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

“Damn!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I… What should I do?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eco immediately took a bite of the vanilla flavoured crepe.

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

“Hmm… Vanilla is also not bad!”

Eco’s eyes glittered.

“That’s good to hear.”

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

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

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

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

“Hey, why are they gathering there?”

Eco asked after she finished her crepe.

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

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

“Whose statue… Is that?”

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

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

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

“You knew it?”

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

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

“Huh?”

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

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

“Is that so… Now I see.”

Ash believed everything she said.

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

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

“What are you doing!”

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

“…What happened?”

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

After that, Eco ran off.

Only then, Ash remembered his past lessons.

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

“So I see.”

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

“Hey, wait for me!”

Ash smiled and chased after Eco.

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

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

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

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

Ash sighed.

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

“What a nice smell.”

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

“This is…”

Ash finally noticed the sweet smell coming from the shop.

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

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

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

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

“What happened previously?”

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

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

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

“…Eco?”

Ash had a bad feeling.

“Unn…!”

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

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

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

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

“Damn… What a troublesome shop!”

His priority is to bring Eco away from this shop.

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

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

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

“…Princess-sama?”

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

“…”

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

===Part 11===

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

“This is… Dragon Fang?”

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

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

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

“So I see…”

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

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

Rebecca and Silvia.

Namely, Scarlet Empress and Ice Blue Princess.

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

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

“Fyunn…”

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

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

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

“…Sorry.”

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

“Enjoy…”

Ash was distressed and heartbroken.

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

“I will keep that in mind.”

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

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

“Ahh, it was me who invited her out.”

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

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

Rebecca smiled cheekily and took out a piece of paper.

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

“Ahh… Now I remember.”

Now it had started to make sense.

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

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

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

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

“Sorry for the wait.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“How are the streets?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Milgauss lifted the huge black sword and chanted the incantation.

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

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

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

“Uwaa!”

Suddenly, Eco reacted.

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

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

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

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

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

“Funnn...”

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

Ash was also happy just by looking at her.

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

Just then, Ash remembered what Rebecca had told him.

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

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

Ash made up his mind and spoke to Silvia:

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

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

Her sharp glare pierced his forehead.

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

Immediately, Silvia’s cheeks had turned red.

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

At that moment, a loud bang came from outside.

“Kyaa!”

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

“What a weird weather...”

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

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

“Hmm… That’s not a good sign.”

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

“Eco?”

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

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

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

Anya’s eyes widened.

A dragon appeared in the middle of St Durham Square.

“That’s… A Necromancia...!”

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

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

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

The Necromancia- A dragon that was resurrected using ashes.

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

Summon the Necromancia and analyze its combat strength.

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

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

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

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

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

''-But…. This is war.''

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

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

The Square was in a mess.

The locals and the tourists were standing still like statues.

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

“W-What is that thing!?”

Ash was shocked when he entered the Square.

The huge beast was landing on the Square.

“Is that… A Dragon?”

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

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

“Its body is rotting…”

Ash gasped.

Apart from that, its body size was surprisingly huge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Eco!”

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

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

“What is she even thinking!”

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

Eco suddenly removed her Beret and showed her horns.

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

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

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

Her imposing attitude touched Ash.

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

The dragon’s gaze slowly turned towards Eco.

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

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Eco!”

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

“You! Knock it off!”

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

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

“Damn… What should I do?”

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

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

''-Don!''

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

“Attacking magic…!”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

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

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

“That…”

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

A few moments later, the smoke cleared out.

“That’s…!”

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

“Rebecca-san!”

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

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

Rebecca’s declaration received cheers from the residents.

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

"Appear! The certain hit magic spear!"

The summoned weapon appeared above Rebecca’s head.

“Gáe Bolg!”

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

“Huh…!?”

Ash’s eyes widened.

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

“It even knew defence magic!”

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

Then it continue was also broke apart easily.

However it was obvious that it had slowed down.

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

The fourth, the fifth… the sixth was penetrated.

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

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

“Yes!”

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

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

The thick smoke had the dragon covered.

Everyone was thinking that Rebecca had won.

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

Then, the smoke started to clear up.

Everyone turned silent.

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

“What in the world is that thing…?”

Ash was shivering.

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

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

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

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

Suddenly, it swung its tail.

After seeing it using high class magic, Ash was surprised to see it change its style to physical attacks. It seems that Rebecca too, was also caught off guard by it which led her to being slow in her reactions.

“Damn…”

Rebecca shouted in surprise.

Although it was just a simple physical attack, the buildings behind the dragon were demolished like toy bricks.

Right now, they could only pray that the people inside the buildings could escape safely.

“Curses…!’

Ash clenched his teeth.

He could only watch the dragon turn the city in ruins as a bystander.

At that moment, Ash thought of a single person.

''-Milgauss, the masked man.''

Since the day he met him in the forest, the still cog had been connected and started spinning. However, it was his instinct that told him that. There was never a single proof.

“W-What in the world is that dragon?”

Once he heard the familiar voice, Ash was brought back to his sense.

Turning around, he saw that Silvia had arrived at the Square.

When Silvia saw the weird dragon, she fell on her backside and was shivering in fear.

Ash immediately came to her side.

“Get a hold of yourself! Princess-sama!”

Though Ash was shouting loudly, Silvia never answered. Seeing such a supernatural sight had caused her to lose all her sense.

Right at that instant, a flying dragon appeared on top of St Durham Square. It was obviously a Maestro since it had silvery white fur.

“Ash! Bring the Princess as far away as you can!”

It was a familiar voice.

He was in charge of the accounts in the student council and also one of Ash’s few friends.

“Max!”

“Leave this to me!... Uwaa!”

Max wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

The grey dragon seeing that a new opponent had appeared immediately gave out a loud roar.

At the same time, it released its ball of light with purple electric.

“Arian!”

Under Max’s command, Arianrhod immediately cast its defence magic. Though it managed to reduced the strength of the light ball, still it had hit and fell towards the ground.

Originally, a dragon shouldn’t be able to fly with such a build. It’s wings are only for decoration purposes. It was magic itself that
enables it to fly.

Ash was shocked when he saw Arianrhod fell towards the ground.

“For it to even bring down Arianrhod with just a single hit…”

Arianrhod had no longer any magic to defend against the second attack.

Rebecca who foresaw that ordered Cú Chulainn to glide down in the area in front of Max and Arianrhod. Without delaying a single moment, she cast her defence magic.

“Rebecca-san!”

For the defending party, Rebecca had totally lost her mobility.

This is the worst situation.

The only choice left is to wait for the Holy Dragners of Lautreamont to arrive. But could the town people really hold on until then?

After all the entire town was already used to the peaceful life.

For example, the entire strength of the security office was just hunting rifles and wooden batons. For offices where they have dragner working there could only be found in the big cities.

The dragon was approaching Rebecca slowly. It probably thought of Rebecca as first to be removed as a target.

Every time the weird dragon took a step, the earth shook and the beautiful tiles turned into rubbles.

It felt as if it was a moving hill. Numerous tentacles had appeared right now and were gripping on Eco.

“Aahhh! What the hell is this thing trying to do!”

Eco continued to struggle. Even though she lost all her mobility, she still had decided that she is not going to ever give up.

“Eco…!”

''That’s it. I must save Eco.''

After all, Eco is Ash’s Pal.

She is none other than Ash’s Pal.

“If it is me… Am I able to do it?”

Ash questioned himself.

An answer flashed through his mind. It gave Ash shivers. But still, it is a gamble.

Right at the instant, Ash remembered Eco enjoying her crepe happily.

“Hold on, it still hasn’t reached that stage yet… Eco!”

There were still many nice things in this word that Eco knew nothing of.

He was not going to let her die like this before teaching her everything.

Ash finally made up his mind.

“I will protect this city. Everybody. And also Eco!”

Yet, there was still one more problem.

Ash needs Silvia’s cooperation to make his plan success.

“Princess-sama! Please get a hold of yourself!”

He shouted towards Silvia who was still sitting on the ground in shock.

However, Silvia’s expression was still blank and continued to shiver. It was as if she is a totally different person from her usual majestic self.

Ash was getting mad.

“Don’t joke with me…. What kind of a Princess are you! Where is the usual family motto! In such times shouldn’t you prove to us what exactly is a royalty made of!”

Ash lifted his right hand.

“I will apologize first! Sorry!”

And he gave Silvia a slap on the face.

The sound was clear.

“…Ash?”

Silvia was staring at Ash dumbstrucked. At least her thoughts were now focused. Although her red cheek was hurting, she had finally calmed down.

“Princess-sama, I had a request. Please summon Lancelot immediately and bring me with you!”

“Bring you? Where to?”

“There!”

Ash was pointing at the moving dragon.

To be more specific, it was above the dragon’s head.

Immediately Silvia knew what he was thinking right now.

“Definitely not! Are you even thinking properly!”

Silvia’s anger raises and stood up suddenly.

''Good, this is great. This is the Silvia that I knew of.''
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 006-007.jpg|thumb|'' Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon: “Your opponent is me!” '']]

Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon:

“Your opponent is me!”

Strictly speaking, Ash didn’t even know if the dragon could even notice his voice. Basically the reason for him to shout was to keep his thoughts from wavering. Still, the dragon did stop its footsteps.

It turned its head slowly and glared at both Ash and Silvia.

Silvia facial expression changed immediately.

“Are you an idiot!”

“I'm alright. Princess-sama please summon Lancelot immedi…!”

Before Ash could finish his sentence, the dragon shot a ray of light at them. It was definitely a different type of magic.

Ash only understood that a strong energy shot pass the area above his head.

He raised his head in terror only to find out that the building behind him was crumbling. The three storey building behind him experienced a direct hit from the attacking magic.

How high exactly is the temperature need to melt debris of the building? Before Ash could even think about it, the building had crumbled.

The pile of wreckage was falling towards Ash and Silvia like a waterfall.

“Urgh!”

On the spur of the moment, Ash tried to protect Silvia. He could only shut his eyes and pray.

===Part 16===
“Hey…! Until when are you going to stop acting in such manner?”

“Huh?”

Silvia’s cold voice had given him the push to open his eyes.

Ash though that he was buried under the pile of wreckage, but-.

He felt the wind blowing.

“I am flying…?”

Both Ash and Silvia were in mid air.

Only then Ash realized that he was riding on Lancelot’s back.

Seems like Silvia had summoned Lancelot in the nick of time.

The streets down below looked far away.

Even St Durham Square looked miniature.

The huge body that occupied a quarter of its space still exists.

The problem is Ash was grabbing on to Silvia who was holding the reins from behind and his right hand was even grabbing on to her breast.

The soft feeling made him lost his calm. Since just now where the building started to crumble, his thought had always been blank.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

“Don’t loosen your grip! You may fall!”

Silvia’s warning made him calm down his thoughts and he started apologizing to Silvia. However, he continued grabbing on her.

“…Sorry.”

Obviously Ash had also shifted the position of his right hand. It was probably that he was thinking too much but somehow Silvia’s face had turned red.

At that moment, the dragon released its second attack.

Lancelot in return roared loudly and cast its defence magic. A huge amount of pressure could be felt. Yet, Lancelot remained unharmed.

“Just as expected.”

Ash praised.

“This kind of level is child’s play for Lancelot. Back to the main point… Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Ahh, please bring me to the appointed location. It must be none other than me to execute it.

“… Then I can only have faith in you. Lancelot!”

“Ooooon.” Under Silvia’s order, Lancelot roared.

They were gliding downwards towards the dragon.

The third and the fourth wave of attack were released but Lancelot avoided all of them with an amazing speed without even activating its defence magic.

The distances between both parties were getting shorter until their entire fields of vision were covered by the dragon’s body.

Ash was looking for Eco.

Ash had prepared himself for the worst possible situation, where Eco was swallowed whole by the dragon.

Until now, this is the only chance where he can save Eco.

He made up his mind and stood on Lancelot. To keep his balance, he held on to Silvia’s shoulder. Silvia remained silent while allowing him to do so.

The countdown begins.

-Ten, nine, eight, seven…

They were getting closer to the ground.

-Three, two, one…

Lancelot flew pass the weird body in a very close distance.

“Now!”

Ash jumped towards the wall of grey furs.

With a ‘Bump’ Ash landed safely. However, he slipped and nearly fell off but managed to cling to the furs.

The dragon felt something on its head and was pissed. It shook its head vigorously. For that short moment, Ash felt like he was going to fall off anytime.

He crawled with all his might until he finally reached the space in between the two horns.

Thought there are still many places that could be considered, it was his instinct that told Ash that this was the best place.

With both of his foot on stable ground, Ash immediately stood up.

At the same time, he thought about the feeling of his first ride on a dragon. Basically the situation was the same as yesterday where a young dragon lost control.

A newborn Starda had gone rampage because its master had mistakenly fed it with Ansal Tea.

Just when the Grooms were in a fix trying to keep the situation under control, Ash who had just passed by, by a chance jumped onto the rampaging dragon.

He just had a hunch that he was able to do it.

In the end, he received a good amount of scolding from the school’s director even though he managed to calm the dragon down.

''That’s right, that young dragon was called- Lancelot.''

“…That’s right. I totally forgot about it.”

Ash smiled wryly. The Maestro that Silvia was riding on and the drunken Strada fitted perfectly in his memories.

He finally realized why Silvia was obsessed comparing herself to him.

At the same time, Ash gained his confidence. Since he was able to calm Lancelot down, this weird dragon should not be a problem.

“Let’s begin…”

Through his feet, he forced his conscious into the dragon like growing tree roots and spoke to the dragon gently.

“From now onwards, I am your master.”

The dragon stopped its footsteps in reply to Ash’s words. Although it still continued growling, at the least it had stopped moving.

“That’s it. This is how it should be.”

Ash was smiling from the bottom of his heart.

Just when Ash was thinking of giving it one more push, the dragon swung its head upwards like a trebuchet.

“Uwaa!”

Ash who was not prepared for this was thrown out.

Just moments before knocking into a building, Lancelot flew to his rescue.

“Phew… Saved.”

Ash sat on Lancelot and was just behind Silvia.

“I have never seen an idiot like you!”

Silvia scolded while she was holding Lancelot’s reins.

“Just a little more I could have...”

Ash was speaking with a serious tone. There was not even a hint of him joking. Silvia who had turned speechless looked just like a graceful woman from the back.

What Ash said made sense. He was going to ride it.

===Part 17===
“Haaa… Haaa…”

Eco looked pale. She was hurt by her inability to break free due to her lack of strength.

“Tsk… For a descendant of a mighty dragon…. To lose to a low born dragon…”

Just when she was provoking the dragon…

“Uwaa!”

Ash was thrown out and had made a nice curve with it but was saved by Lancelot.

“What in the world is he trying to do?

Eco was horrified.

What Ash was doing was reckless.

That’s right. Ash was trying to tame this weird dragon by riding it.

If there is to be a single error, Ash will be squashed like a bug.

“Hold on! What are you doing? Why don’t you run away!”

Eco who could endure it no longer shouted.

“Eco! I will save you!”

Ash replied while sitting on Lancelot’s back. He seemed confident judging from his tone.

That sentence had made her realized that Ash tried to save her instead of running away.

“Urgh…!”

Eco was struggling to escape the tentacles.

But the more she struggled, the tighter their grips became.

Right at that moment…

“…Huh?”

Right in front of Eco, the dragon’s belly split open.

On both of the sides of the belly were aligned with row of sharp fine teeth.

It looked like an insect eating plat.

“I-It must have been a bad joke.”

Eco’s face turned pale.

Numerous tentacles appeared and Eco was swallowed into the mouth that looked like the gates of hell.

“Eco-!”

Just when she almost lost conscious, she could barely hear Ash’s cry

===Part 18===
“It seems that you have woken up, my sleeping beauty.”

The bewitching voice had woken Eco up and she hurriedly looked around.

“This is…”

A mysterious room.

The floor was laid by square tile of black and white alternating.

Beside the four walls were statues that had not been completed. An incomplete human body. Incomplete beasts. Models of castle and shrines. And also transports that Eco had never seen before.

Right in front of Eco who was sitting on the bed was a suspicious lady. The lady was sitting on an antique chair lazily. Her brilliant red dress looked extra conspicuous in the monochrome room.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 205.jpg|thumb]]

On the lady’s head were horns of an adult dragon.

“This is the Dragon Workshop. Also, I am called Navi.”

“Navi…?”

“You just have to take me as another personality that is responsible to teach the immature you… Don’t you think that this is great?”

“I don’t really understand. Also, what’s with your appearance?

Eco was getting uneasy since the first time she saw Navi.

Her looks, hair style and skin colour were exactly like Eco’s. The only difference is that Navi was a few years older.

“Hee hee. Are you worrying about my body? This design is based on a five years older version of you.”

“Wh-What!”

Still, this is just an assumption. You just may not grow up this well. Especially your breast.”

Navi purposely put emphasis on the breast and deliberately shook them.

Eco was getting mad for being made fun of..

“Hmph! It is not like bigger is better!”

“Of course, even the shape is important. But for you… Worrying about the size should be your main concern.”

“What a detestable woman! I will squash you!”

“…Now lets us stop this useless talk as he is going to die if we let him continue what he was doing.”

With a single wave from her right arm, a crystal ball appeared. A high concentration of lights was released by it and a projection of Ash struggling with the weird looking opponent could be seen.

“He is still reckless!”

Eco was looking up towards the screen which was the ceiling.

“In a first look, this is not a bad idea. After all he was born with that gift to ride any kind of dragons. However, this opponent is too much for him to handle. He had no chance of winning against that Necromancia.”

“Necromancia?”

“That’s right. It is a dragon that died once but was resurrected by human technology.”

“Tsk! What should we do…? There is nothing in my ability to help him.”

Eco was saddened.

“Hey, do you know why a holy dragon is called a Maestro.”

Eco was puzzled by the sudden question.

Before the existence of the secret agreement of Albion, the holy dragons were craft workers. This dragon workshop was built by a group of great Maestros. The Ark is only one of the many things created by the Maestros.

Eco finally understood what Navi was trying to say.

“You are telling me that he is lacking an Ark?”

“Good answer. And of course the only person who can present him with the Ark is only you as his Pal.”

“But… How can I…? That’s it!”

Eco remembered her conversation with Ash in St Druham Square.

''-Hmm, if it is the blueprint for the Ark, I have the access to it.''

''-If that’s the case, can you use the blueprint… To create an Ark?''

''-Are you crazy! That’s is nothing but an imitation.''

Even though it is an imitation, it is still an Ark. Certainly, Eco's pride does not allow her to make a copy from her ancestor, but this was an emergency.

Eco accessed the Dragweiss immediately and focused her thoughts. Without delay, the projection on the ceiling started changing.

“It is not like I have a choice either.”

Since year 10 of A.S.B where the secret agreement of Albion was made, there were many blueprints left by the dragons. Apart from the Arks that were worn by humans, there were also those that were made as a trial.

The total amount of blueprints easily exceeds a thousand.

“This…”

Eco was disappointed after read the blueprints.

Every single blueprint was full of details and even copying may become a difficult task.

“Come on! How am I to copy this!”

Just when she was feeling troubled, the thought of St Durham’s Statue flash pass.

She instantly summoned St Durham’s Ark’s blueprint.

Time of production Year 846 A.S.B/ Month of Libra/ 2nd day.

Name of knight Durham Lautreamont

Ark Weapon Magic sword Caliber

Compare to the present, the design and structure five hundred years ago was simpler.

“If it is this Ark, I should be able to do it!”

“You’re naïve.”

Navi smiled coldly.

“Why? Supposing I had no experience in making an Ark, I still inherit the basic knowledge. So what are you even-”

“It just doesn’t work that way. An Ark is an armour that was custom made for its knight. If you just make a copy of a previous work, he
won’t be able to wear it. If you force it on him, it may even endanger his life.”

“What! Then this isn’t even an option to begin with!”

“Hehe. When did I mention that? The Dragweiss had collected a huge amount of blueprints since the old times. It is possible to select parts of the armour that fits him from this amount of blueprints.”

By shaking a crystal, an infinite amount of blueprints appeared on the ceiling.

“…Could it be that!”

Eco finally understood what Navi means.

“That’s right. We will select parts of the armour that fits him and reorganized them.”

“But, can I do it? For starters, how am I going to know if the parts suit him?”

Eco was worrying about the most important part.

Before an Ark was made, it requires that data of the person wearing it. First is the height and then follow by a mountain full of information.

“That’s impossible!”

“Ara. If you are talking about his data, I already have it here with me.”

Navi smiled cheekily touched Eco’s forehead with the crystal ball. In an instant, all the information in the crystal ball flowed into Eco’s head.

“This… Is his data?”

Eco was able to construct a three dimensional structure using the huge amount of information.

“-!”

Eco blushed. Ash image in her mind was stark naked. Every single detail on his body was clearly recorded.

“A-A perfect data…. But how did this data get into your hands?”

“I was expecting something similar to this to happen. Just before you were born, I sneaked into his dream. Actually I finished collecting my data in just a night but since he is too cute, I had been doing that for a whole week.”

“H-How dare you toy with my pet dog!”

Navi was laughing in front of the angry Eco.

“I can see that someone is jealous.”

“T-There is no way that I-I….”

“Is that so? But why are you blushing?”

“I am gonna squash you!... Erm, this is not the right time and place to argue!”

“That’s the spirit. So let’s begin.”

Navi slowly stood up.

“I don’t know whether I am capable of doing it but… this is the only choice left!”

Eco finally made up her mind.

===Part 19===

Even though it had been three times, Ash never gave up. On the other hand, he was saved by Lancelot every single time.

Lucky for him, the grey dragon had Lancelot locked on as its target. Every single attack was directed towards Lancelot which in turn, reduced the amount of destruction towards the city.

However, there is a limit to the amount of magic that Lancelot possesses. In truth, it flying speed had been greatly reduced.

“Lancelot is at its limit…”

Ash understood her frustration from her words.

“I understand. This time will be the final!”

Silvia signal Lancelot to change its direction and dive down towards the middle of the square. Right at that moment…

“Tell me that is not true…”

Eco was suddenly swallowed into the dragon’s belly.

“Eco!”

Ash shouted in dismay.

They are not able to make it in time.

Eco was eaten whole by that monster right in front of Ash.

“Damn!... It's my fault for being weak…!”

“Don’t give up!”

Silvia reminded Ash who felt that he was going to break apart in despair.

“She may still be alive! If you give up at this moment, she will definitely die for sure!”

Ash immediately kept his cool. Silvia was right. If not because of she was holding the reins with both hands, she is sure to give him a slap on the face like what he did to her.

Suddenly, the Seikoku on his left arm started hurting. It was the same feeling as the time where Eco was kidnapped by Angela.

“Eco…!”

The reaction from the Seikoku made him felt relief.

This proofs that his link with Eco had not yet been cut off.

“Yeah… I mustn’t give up yet. Princess-sama! Please bring me to where the monster is!”

“That’s the spirit!”

Once again, Lancelot started diving downwards.

===Part 20===
“Give me a break! Why can’t I get it right!”

Eco was shouting in desperation.

The opponent that Ash was battling was a Necromancia.

Its element is ‘dark’.

Naturally, the Ark that she is going to present to Ash should have the ‘light’ element in it. It had been a common knowledge since the ancient times that light can conquer darkness.

“Urgh…! Just as expected, this is impossible…”

Eco was sitting on her knees in disappointment.

Tears were dripping from her eyes. It was the first time Eco ever cried from the feeling of regret.

''“Don’t give up!”''

At that moment, Eco heard something.

The owner of the sound was none other than Ash.

“Is it him…?”

Eco lifted her head up.

Ash was still continuing his fight.

While fighting against the dragon, he was calling out to Eco.

''“I will save you! I still believe that you are still alive! That is why… That is why, you mustn't give up!”''

These were not spoken by words. They were spoken through the Astral Flow that connects the dragon and its breeder.

She felt warmth from the bottom of her heart.

Eco knew from where this warmth came from.

Druing her time as an Orphan, Eco had always been inside Ash.

She could never forget about this warmth.

Even when he was going against the odds, Ash never ran away from anything.

He even dare face such a monster.

For how many times had he stood on the dragon’s head and for how many times had he been thrown off. Right now, his clothes were like rags and there were many obvious bruises and wounds on his body.

Even so, his eyes never stop glittering.

“He…”

Eco clenched her fists.

''-Unforgivable!''

That’s it. Ash was fighting for her sake and her pride doesn't allow her to stay still while waiting to be saved.

“That’s right… It is totally unforgivable… That is why…!”

Her tired body was once again filled with magic.

Her overflowing amounts of magic crystallized outside of her body and were sparkling.

“This is…”

Eco never once expect herself to have such a large amount of magic.

Her field of vision widened.

“I can see it!”

Eco could not keep herself from smiling.

''“Almete, Gorjal, Peto… Espaldar……”''

Even thought the amount of blueprints in the Dragweiss is abnormally large, the Eco right now had the ability to handle all of them.

''“Brafoneras, Faldaje… Escarcelas……”''

In among the parts that suits Ash, Eco selects the ones with light element and combined them.

''“Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales… Codales….., Antebrazos……. Manoplas……….”''

Compare to those who create the Ark from scraps, Eco’s actions may seem detestable.

Eco could never be able to object for shaming the tradition and placing a curse on her ancestral.

''“Quijotes… Guardas… Grebas…… Escarpes……….”''

However to Eco, it would be a worst sin to just be a bystander and witness all the fun.

Eco no longer hesitates.

With mixed emotions, she had chosen the final part.

''“-Espolón!”''

At that instant, Eco had opened the gate that leads to a brand new world.

===Part 21===
No matter how badly he failed, he had lost count of the number of times he returned. Right now, he was lying on Lancelot’s back in anguish.

The pain was so immersed that he could no longer feel his limbs.

“Lancelot is really at its limit. This will be the last chance we have...”

Silvia’s voice was obviously shaking. They really must succeed. The moment Lancelot used up all its magic and can no longer fly, everything that was done will be in vain.

Ansarivan will be in ruins and Eco will definitely die.

It will be impossible to save all the refuges unharmed.

“Tsk… What should I do…!”

Just when Ash was in a pinch…

''“You are the one who shouldn’t give up!”''

Eco’s voice was heard in his mind.

“Eco? Eco! You are still alive!”

It had been sometime since she was swallowed by the dragon but Ash could clearly hear her voice.

''“Isn’t that obvious! No matter what I do, I can never look for a substitute for my useless pet dog, so just take this as a gift.”''

“Huh? Take what?”

The next instant, Ash was surrounded by dazzling lights.

“This is…!”

His eyes’ widened.

An outline slowly appeared in the light and transformed into a brilliant armour.

“I-Isn’t that an… Ark! It is godly…!”

Silvia squeaked when she turned around.

It had a strange feeling.

It was a heavy looking armour but it doesn’t feel that way.

Perhaps it was the strong amount of magic that removed the weight.

Even though he just wore it, he could feel an overflowing amount of magic.

“With this… I can never lose.”

Ash smiled confidently and spoke facing Eco who was inside the dragon’s belly.

“Thank you Eco! I had received your feelings!”

Unfortunately, Eco replied with a scold.

''“D-Don’t joke with me! That is just a mimic! Not an original! I have never thought of presenting you with it at all!”''

Eco was certainly full of objections.

Ash smiled bitterly.

“Let’s go, Princess- sama!”

“Understood!”

Ash who had been equipped with the Ark was full of spirits.

Silvia didn’t waste a single moment and ordered Lancelot to dive down.

Although it had used up most of its magic, it still answered Ash and Silvia’s call by raising its speed.

“Princess-sama!”

Ash was speaking to her from the back.

“… What is it?”

“Lancelot is a good dragon.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“That is why you should never again try to ride on another dragon.”

“A-Are you an idiot! What are you saying at a time like this…”

“This is the best time to tell you this. You had Lancelot who is the best Pal. So, what is the thing that you are craving for?”

“I-I… Definitely knew that!”

Lancelot made a great roar in reply to Silvia.

They are getting faster.

The huge grey body was getting closer.

“Now’s the time!”

Ash jumped.

He felt that his body had blend into the wind.

After drawing out a curve in the air, Ash landed on the dragon’s head.

Thanks to the Ark, Ash could even stand on the dragon without clinging to its fur.

He could even feel the dragon’s body heat through the armour.

Right at this moment, Ash was one with the dragon.

It can’t be wrong. The Ark had pushed Ash’s gift to its maximum potential.

“Alright!”

From his feet, his consciousness was growing into the dragon like roots.

If Ash was to be described as a tree, then the dragon is the earth.

At the same time, Ash could feel the dragon’s rejecting feeling in his mind.

Ash shouted.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are god or even the devil himself…”

Ash was like a tower in between the two horns.

“For what I know, every dragon will bound to be ridden by me!”

Suddenly, there was a change in the dragon’s body.

Its folded wings were suddenly flapping.

The dragon was flying towards the sky.

===Part 22===
“…Seems like we had stepped into an ambush…”

Milgauss sighed when he saw the Necromancia flying away from the town.

Milgauss was the person controlling the Necromancia.

The huge sword in his hands was not only the switch, it was also the controller.

However, Milgauss was never successful in making the Necromancia fly but that boy had it proved to him.

Even so, Milgauss was dead calm. It was just as expected.

Anya was sweating when she looked at Milgauss.

It was a cold sweat.

The boy who was riding the Necromancia away from the city is THAT BOY.

Anya had never reported to Milgauss about their meeting in the streets. She didn’t expect the boy to appear right there.

“Where exactly did I meet that boy before…?”

Anya was trembling from that single sentence.

“Well, whatever.”

Luckily, MIlgauss never question any further.

“The experiment ended with a failure, but we still obtain some useful results. That boy and also… that girl.”

“Girl?”

Anya was confused. Did he mean Rebecca Randall the Ark Dragner?

Or is it Princess Silvia who was flying on Lancelot?

However she was wrong.

“Didn’t the Necromancia capture a girl? The one with horns. She is probably the one who presented the boy with the Ark. Even though she looks human… She might be descendant of a dragon.”

“I never…!”

Milgauss had no intention of speaking anymore. He silently kept the huge sword and gazed at Anya through the mask.

“We will retreat for now.”

Anya knelt down immediately.

“…Understood!”

===Part 23===
“I did it…!”

The grey dragon spread it wings and flew up towards the sky with Ash.

It was getting higher and higher and further away from the town.

Right now, Ansarivan town, the plains beside and Fianna Forest looked like toys.

This was all according to his plan. First he had to bring this dangerous dragon away to ensure to safety of the townspeople.

Ash could understand the dragon’s thought through the Ark.

The muzzy thoughts suddenly turned clear. If felt as if the Ark had translated the dragon’s feeling into words that Ash understands.

There was anger.

Sadness.

Hatred too.

And also- Love.

“I see. You also had a master in the past.”

Ash didn’t know where this dragon came from.

He only knew that this was just a normal dragon that grew up in Ansarivan.

At the same time, it told Ash its wish through the Ark.

Ash understood the sad wish.

“…Necromancia? Something that disobey the logic of this world? Do you really want that?”

It once again assured Ash.

It trusted as like it did to its master.

“Are you really sure that you want that?”

The Necromancia was asking for Ash to kill it.

That is the only way out.

“But… what about Eco after I killed you?”

Ash was worried about killing the Necromancia because Eco was still inside the Necromancia.

After knowing what Ash thinking was, the dragon reassured him.

“Ermm… Can I really trust you?”

The Necromancia nodded its head.

It promised to protect Eco.

“…Alright. Leave everything to me.”

The moment he had made up his mind, an image of a sword appeared in his mind.

Although the Ark was created hastily, Ash still had obtained the same power as an Ark Dragner.

Similar to Rebecca’s Gáe Bolg, every Ark Dragner must possess an Ark weapon.

The Ark was glowing and an immense amount of magic flowed out.

The details of the Ark Weapon were circulating inside Ash.

It was a sword. A sword with light as its element.

Following the information, Ash chanted the spell words.

''“Appear! The sword that was graced by the light! Please lend me all your powers that are able to repel darkness…”''

The area on Ash’s forehead was flooding with light.

A tremendous amount of magic was flowing.

A huge sword that was taller than Ash appeared.

''“Aix-les-Bains!”''

After lifting Aix-les-Bains easily, Ash jumped.

“Uuoooooo!”

Ash was falling. Starting from the dragon’s head to its belly, the sword that wields light slashed through.

The dragon split into two.

The sword transformed into silvery lights and cut through its bones and flesh.

The tough body of the dragon burst into parts like a paper.

Then-

The destroyed body turned into grey particles and was blown away by the winds.

“Kyaa!”

At the same time, Eco was thrown up into the sky.

She was probably thrown up by the dragon before the attack.

“Eco!”

Ash was diving at Eco’s direction.

He was also accelerating using the magic of the Ark.

There was not even a hint of fear.

Ash stretched out his arms.

Eco stretched out hers too.

Both of them were close, but yet so far away.

The pressure from the strong wind seemed to be able to cut through skin but Ash still shouted:

“Eco!”

He made a kick in the air by releasing the magic in the Ark.

Eco once again stretched out her arms further after being called.

“Ash…!”

This was the first time Eco call his name.

The fingers met.

Then they felt the weight on their palms.

Now they were grabbing each other’s hand.

Not wanting Eco to leave his side again, Ash made a pull.

Eco was embracing his chest.

While hugging the delicate body, Ash could feel her body heat. He had decided to land on the plains below.

With the protection from the Ark, they remain unharmed even after falling from a few hundreds of meters from above.

The dark cloud in Ansarivan had disappeared.

At the horizon, the sun appeared once again.

“We did it!”

Just when he smiled, the Ark broke into light particles and disappeared. Similarly, Aix-les-Bains which was in his belt had also disappeared.

Just as Eco had said, this was just hastily made.

However, it did actually manage to save Eco.

“Thank you, Eco.”

“I-Its nothing!”

Just as expected, Eco turned to a side. She really hasn’t changed at all.

Just when he started smiling, his smile turned into horror.

“Hey… What’s with your fist?”

Her fist was bleeding.

Surely it was hurt when she was caught by the Necromancia.

“T-This is nothing.”

“What are you even talking about.”

Ash held her hand and licked her wound. It was a usual practice in Ash’s hometown when children hurt themselves.

It may be obvious to Ash but-

“W-What are you doing!”

Eco was getting mad and started rampaging.

“Stop! It is just for disinfection, disinfection I say!”

Eco who turned embarrassed bit his neck.

“Stop! This is not a joke! I might even die…!”

Eco who was probably tired finally calmed down.

“Hey, Eco?”

Ash was getting uneasy but Eco was already fast asleep. He showed sign of relieved and smile bitterly.

“A boy who can ride any dragon?”

Some corrections should be made.

Or at least until he found a way to handle Eco.

''End of "Dark Grey Invasion ~A.S.B.1365.5~".''

<noinclude>==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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|-
| Back to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 2

2015-08-22T15:43:37Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan */ Minor 'US to British' English changes

==Chapter 2 - The Streets of Ansarivan==
===Part 1===
The news of the number one problem child in the Academy Ash Blake gotten in an accident in the dragon riding festival and his Pal was finally born spread like wild fire.

However, his finally born young dragon Eco is a girl with horns.

Just to settle Eco’s problem, there were two main opinions given during the staff’s meeting.

One of the opinions was to send Eco to the dragon house for strict discipline. While the other opinion stated that Eco shouldn’t be sent to the dragon house because she looked like a human.

In the end of the day, they couldn't come up with a good solution. That is why all of them agreed on letting Ash took care of Eco in his own room for the mean time.

===Part 2===
At the end of the walkway, in the third floor of the Apollo House,

“This is my room. Hurry!”

After he opened the door, he gave Eco a push on her back.

“Grrrr…. How dare you as a dog to order your master.”

Eco turned around and glared at Ash.

“I don’t remember becoming your dog at all!”

“Then you can just be my meat slave!”

“Do you even know what does that mean?”

Eco crossed her arms and smiled proudly.

As usual, she was going to show off her knowledge she get from the Dragweiss.

“It is a slave who provides its hungry owner with its own meat.”

“I am not some food!”

Ash was getting uneasy with the Dragweiss but he still shoves Eco into the room and ran in himself.

Then he quickly had the door locked.

Students were standing outside along the walls of his room with their ears glue towards the wall. Ash doesn’t even have the strength to chase them off.

Apollo House is a dormitory for males.

Every time a beauty with comparable standards to Eco came, there was always a huge uproar.

“Hmm… What a poor looking room.”

After giving it a glance, Eco stated her first impression.

“I guess this is for today… I am gonna sleep.”

Until just moments ago, Ash had been kept held in the infirmary.

After he was found in the ravine and was brought back to the academy, he was questioned by three parties, the board of directors, the staff and the student councils. He was now tired in both physically and mentally.

“Hold on!”

Eco was blocking Ash who was going to jump into the bed.

“Anything?”

“Since I am your master, this bed is mine.”

“Hey! Where am I supposed to sleep then!”

“Hmph! You can just sleep on the floor!”

“You gotta be joking!”

“I am not! If you continue to disobey, I am gonna squash you!”

Eco was pointing her fingers at Ash. She then removed the shirt that Ash gave her and move towards the bed.

Her white skin and curves can be seen.

“W-Why are you removing them!”

Ash immediately turn aside, his heart was beating none stop.

Didn’t I mention it before, that a proper dragon doesn’t need clothes! Can’t I have some freedom during my sleeping time!”

Eco angrily answered and moved towards the bed.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

In just a while, she was already fast asleep.

Her previous glare had turned into pure angel like.

“Good grief…”

Ash rest himself on the laid out the futon and blanket.

Although he was not used to sleeping on the floor, he still couldn’t resist the urge to sleep.

Since it was a holiday on the next day, he doesn’t have to worry about waking up early.

In just a few moments, Ash was already in a deep sleep.

===Part 3===
It was midnight.

Ash felt something was in his futon and he woke up.

“Uwoo!”

He doesn’t have the luxury to continue sleeping.

He felt as if his heart was going to burst.

“Eco! Wake up!”

Before this, Eco had just occupied his bed.

It seems weird that she was now squeezing herself into the futon.

“Huff…”

Eco who was still sleeping was gluing herself to Ash. The feel from her skin also caused his heart beat to speed up. Then, he remembered that Eco was naked.

Although Eco was not as sexy as Navi, Navi only appeared in his dreams.

But right now is reality. The softness of her skin and her body heat was not something from a dream could match with.

“This looks… Delicious.”

Eco was sleep talking.

''What kind of dream was she actually dreaming…'' Just when Ash was wondering, Ash felt an unknown feeling on his body and he trembled.

It seemed that Eco had given him a bite.

“-!”

It was called a nibble.

It can usually been seen doing by a young dragon.

Being nibbled by a Pal was a breeder’s privilege.

Every time Ash saw his friends being nibbled, he was full of envy.

But, this nibble…. Is a little bad for his heart.

Although he knew that Eco is a dragon, she still looked like a girl. Right now, Eco was nibbling his chest.

“Please…. Stop…!”

Although he asked her to stop, he never really forced it. It doesn’t feel bad being nibble by Eco. No, it even felt great.

“…Huh?”

Unfortunately, it had ended.

It was possible that she was sleeping or even possible that this was a different type of nibble from Eco.

Without any reason, Eco’s bite was getting stronger and stronger.

“Uoooo! It hurts! I really hurts!”

Ash was shivering.

He was horrified by the thought of being eaten. The word food kept on echoing in his mind.

Even though she looked like a girl, Eco was still a dragon.

In the worst case scenario, it would even danger his life.

“Uuwoooo!”

Ash pushed Eco to the side with all his might. Her teeth marks were left on his chest. Though there was no bleeding, it would probably take a few days for it to disappear.

“Zzz… Zzz…”

Without knowing Ash’s troubles, Eco continued to sleep.

''-Are days like this going to continue?''

''She should really be sent to the dragon house for strict discipline…'' Or at least that was what Ash thought of.

===Part 4===
The next morning, Ash was woken up by an unexpected guest.

Since some times before, there seemed to be someone knocking on the door nonstop.

Ash who doesn’t have many friends could only think of Raymond and Max.

“Can’t I at least have a good rest during my precious weekends…”

Ash was mumbling while he was walking towards the entrance.

Ash was shocked the instant he opened the door.

“Good morning Ash Blake. You shouldn’t oversleep even if it is a weekend.”

Rebecca was standing at the doorway. Right behind her stood Max who was in charge of the accounts with a sour look.

“P-President! This is the boy’s dormitory!”

“Say my name.”

“Huh…?”

“Being called president is a little too stiff and unnecessary.”

“Ermm… Rebecca-san?”

Ash called out without a second thought which made Rebecca smile.

“Hmm… That’s great. I am here for Eco.”

“I am grateful for you to take your trouble to come here.”

“That is not necessary. By the way, how’s Eco?”

“She is still sleeping…”

Ash was startled when he turned around and looked at the bed.

“Hwuaa…”

Eco who had just woke up was rubbing her eyes and sat up.

The blanket fall off and her white chest was exposed.

“Wha-! That’s not the case!”

“Beast…!”

Max pulled his collar as he was trying to explain the misunderstanding.

“You beast! Do you even know what you had done!”

Luckily, Rebecca interfered and stopped Max.

“Max! Calm down! They didn’t seemed to be sleeping together since there was a futon on the ground. Am I right?”

“Of course!”

“Then explain why she is naked!”

Ash started stuttering because of the tone Max was using.

“Erm… No, that is… Eco said she is a proud dragon and she does not require any clothes. Apart from that, I don’t have any clothes for her.”

“Hmm… Just as what I expected. I had brought something for you, don’t worry about it.”

After a glance from Rebecca, Max handed Ash a bag unwillingly.

It felt a little heavy.

“I gave some clothing to Eco. Though she is a dragon, her appearance is of a girl’s. You can’t expect her to be moving around naked. Just take it as a birthday present from the student council.”

“T-Thank you very much. I am saved…”

Ash lowered his head.

“However, as for the daily needs, you have to buy it yourself. Do you have enough money?”

“… It is a little tight.”

Be it a noble family or a traders family, it had nothing to do with Ash who was born in a small village at the borders.

“If that’s the case, you just have to fill in this form and pass it to the management.”

The piece of form that Rebecca gave him was used by student to apply for the up taking funds for their Pals.

“Strictly speaking, this is only used to apply for the riding equipment… Well, Eco should be a special case. Then, there is one more thing.”

Suddenly Rebecca turned serious. Though she still maintained her statue like beauty, her muscle was all tensed up.

“Actually this morning, it had been decided in the staff meeting that Dr.Cornwell was asked by the academy to examine Eco.”

‘Huh! By saying Dr.Cornwell you are saying she is that…”

She owned a laboratory in Ansarivan City and held the highest authority in dragon research. Ash had never seen her before.

“That’s right. She is that famous person. Since she was always busy, the date to examine Eco had not been decided yet.”

“I understand. No worries, I will take care of Eco until the time.”

Ash’s serious expression made Rebecca smile.

“Good answer. One more thing, after you are done with everything, please drop by the student council’s office. I had many things that I want to ask you.”

“Understood…”

“Hmm… I will be waiting for you then.”

Rebecca left with a smile while being followed by Max.

===Part 5===
“Try putting this on…”

While trying to avoid looking at Eco’s body with the sun right at her back, he handed her the bag.

Eco suddenly turned angry.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I will get into trouble if you don’t at least put on some clothes.”

“Hmm. Are you trying to say that you are not pleased with my body?”

Eco walk approaching Ash while being fully naked.

Ash was panicking and immediately turned around.

“That is why I had told you that it is a common knowledge to wear clothes in the human society. Anyway, don’t you feel cold with nothing on?”

“Hmph. This sunny day is like a give for me who had just been born. It is not necessarily for me to-”

Right at that instant, a yellow butterfly that had lost its way flew into the room and landed on Eco’s nose.

Eco’s nose twitched.’

“A…. A….Achoo!”

It was a cute sneeze.

“Uwaaa!”

Strong winds were created from her sneeze. Ash was blown up and bang into the ceiling like a frog being ran over.

“Ouch! It is just like a dragon’s sneeze…”

Ash who had just crawled up found that he lost the bag. After a quick search, he found out that Rebecca’s belongings were scattered all round the ground.

To his surprised, Eco was actually holding one.

“…Cute.”

It looked like she seemed to have interest in it since she was at that age.

===Part 6===
Just like what he hoped for, Eco had put on the clothes.

The clothes give by Rebecca was a cute dress that has a similar design to the school’s uniform.

Regardless of the collar ribbon or the puff sleeve, it matches Eco perfectly. As for the beret it can be used to cover up Eco’s horn.

On the other hand, her boots were stylish and the size fitted perfectly. Ash was amazed at how sharp Rebecca was.

Eco doesn’t seem dissatisfied when she was looking at the mirror.

“Hmm… Not a bad design from a dumb human.”

Ash was relieved.

“Nnn. By the way, is this Ansarivan, the academic city?”

Ash was surprised by the sudden question.

“According to the Dragweiss, there should be many shops on the streets of Ansarivan.

“That right.”

Ash was starting to admire the Dragweiss. It seemed that Eco inherited a huge amount of knowledge. It would be perfect if they didn’t have any knowledge on those weird stuffs.

“…eets.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“I say… I will allow you to bring me to look around the streets!”

Eco turned aside with her cheeks blushing.

Ash gave a wry smile. It seemed that Eco want him to bring her for a walk in the town.

Though the Dragweiss may be useful, it still doesn’t feel safe walking on the streets alone. The reason she didn’t ask Ash directly has probably to do with her honour as a dragon.

“Alright then, even a dragon needs a walk.”

“Don’t say it like you are bringing a dog for a walk!”

“O-Ouch!”

Ash almost fainted from being punched right in the belly.

===Part 7===
After claiming two thousands Eccles for the up taking of his Pal from the management, Ash brought Eco to the city.

Two thousand Eccles is equivalent to a month worth of job pay of a government official. Of course this was the first time he held such a large amount of money.

“This is Ansarivan…!”

Eco was amazed the moment she stepped into the streets. Even though she had knowledge regarding this, still, the real thing never failed to amaze her.

The amount of people increased the moment they entered the main street. Since today was also a holiday, most of the people were students.

On both sides of the streets were stalls and the street was full of the smells of foods.

“Gurrrrr…”

Suddenly, Eco’s stomach gave a loud growl.

All the pedestrians around were shocked. Nothing less could be expected from a dragon.

Eco blushed.

“I-It is not like I have any choice. I haven’t even taken my breakfast yet!”

Ash could understand why she was embarrassed about her stomach rumbling while she can walk around naked.

“Yeah right, I almost forgotten…”

Ash had not taken any breakfast because of Rebecca’s visit. All of a sudden, Ash started to feel hunger too.

Eco was puffing her checks in protest to Ash.

“A dragon must eat five time a day, don’t you know that!”

“I heard about it during my years in the basic class… But is that really a necessity?”

“That’s obvious!”

Ash was looking at Eco’s small body frame in disbelieve.

“The daily cost is going to increase…”

“What did you just say?”

“No, nothing.”

“Mm… What’s that? What a nice smell!”

Eco was pointing at a stall. A noisy group of girls of Ash’s age were gathering there.

“That’s a crepe stall.”

“What’s that?”

“Huh? Is it not recorded in the Dragweiss?”

“It is just a food. There is no need to purposely access the Dragweiss. It requires magic to make a search!’

“I see… Crepe is a popular dessert in Ansarivan. Do you want to have a try?”

Basically, dragons are omnivores. They shouldn’t have any problems eating crepes. At least that was what Ash thought.

“Of course!”

There were three girls before them and Ash and Eco were queuing up at the back.

“Is it our turn yet?”

“We need to be patient. It is bad to cut queue.”

“Hmph… Looks like we don’t have a choice. However, since they have the guts to make a dragon wait, it better be good or else I will have this store crushed.”

“That doesn't sounds good…”

Suddenly Ash felt that someone was staring at him.

“Is there anything?”

Eco asked.

“Nothing. I just thought that I felt someone staring at us.”

“Huh? It is impossible for someone looking at us in such streets.”

“… I don’t think that I have enough confidence to say that.”

Since ages ago, Ash's intuition had always been sharp.

If it was not because of that, he wouldn't be able to spot Milgauss in the forest.

“… It must have been my imagination.”

He had become oversensitive due to that incident.

Right at that moment, the girl standing right in front of him had ordered an Ansal flavored crepe.

In just a moment a rose-like smell filled the air.

It made them hungrier.

“I think I am going to have an Ansal.”

After taking a look at the price list, an Ansal crepe cost about a hundred Glorins. While the rest cost only fifty Glorines. Although it was a little expensive, with the money he received for up taking a Pal, this is nothing.

“What about you, Eco?”

Without any reason, was straightening her chest proudly.

“Huhu, of course it is Ansal. It is the etiquette of a dragon.”

“…It seems so.”

The so called Ansal was a high quality herb that was produced in Ansarivan. Apart from the usual use as spice, it was also loved by the dragons. To them, it was similar to cigarettes and booze to humans.

Finally it was Ash and Eco’s turn.

“Two Ansal crepes please.”

After receiving the orders, the shopkeeper roasted the batter with an amazing speed. When it was almost done, the shopkeeper place some pale green coloured cream on it.

The area surrounding them was full of the smell of Ansal.

“Uwaa!”

Eco was looking at the shopkeeper in amaze. Ash’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw Eco with a look of curiosity.

''Stop! Eco is a dragon…'' Ash hurriedly reminded himself.

===Part 8===
There was a public bench not far away from the store. Since it was empty, both Ash and Eco sat on it.

“Mmm…mmm…”

Eco was eating her crepe.

“Nnn… It is delicious!”

“Thank god. The store is now safe from being crushed.”

“Don’t joke with me! Whoever dare to lay a finger on it have to go through me first!”

“Hmm… Anyway, I think only you have to ability to crush it.”

In just a few seconds, Eco finished her crepe completely. She seemed to be not satisfied with it and was eying Ash’s.

Since he was surprised by Eco’s eating speed, Ash haven’t even taken a single bite.

“Haa… Guess I don’t have a choice. Wanna have a bite?”

“Can I?”

“Well, I can't bear seeing you with that kind of face.”

Eco was overjoyed when Ash handed her his crepe.

Her innocent looks while eating the crepe was like a small animal. Ash suddenly felt like he was feeding his pet.

After eating, tightening her fist and declared:

“It had been decided! This will be my meal!”

“This is just for dessert. You have to eat meat if you are a dragon! Or else you won’t grow!”

“How dare a mere dumb human like you order me! Have you forgotten that I am your owner…. Aaa!”

Suddenly, Eco was blushing and was panting.

“Hey… are you alright?”

“M-My body…. It is hot…”

Eco was suddenly embracing Ash with watery eyes.

Their limbs were rubbing against each other.

Ash could feel Eco body heat through the clothes.

“Hey… What are you doing?”

“N-No more… I can’t….”

Eco pushed forward.

Ash could feel her chest.

Then, Eco started licking his the area around his collar.

“-!”

Ash turned numb from being licked by her soft and warm tongue.

“….Eco? What is happening?”

“Please… Do something… I-I can’t…. No more…!”

Just when Ash was getting confused, the rosy lips was approaching him.

Beneath the lips were pearl like teeth.

There were smells of Ansal mixed in within her hot breath.

“Could it be that…!”

Ash could only think of the only explanation.

This is caused by the Ansal.

Ansals were loved by dragon. To them, Ansal were like tobacco and booze in the human world.

Though she was born with the look of a girl, at the same time she is also a young dragon. It seemed that it was bad to her if she took in a huge amount of Ansal.

“Eco! P-Pleaese…. I beg you!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 091.jpg|thumb]]

“Huff…”

Eco was approaching him like an animal in heat.

If this were to be left alone, they will be caught for disrupting the peace of the city.

“Mama, what are both of them doing?”

“Don’t look! Just keep moving!”

Just as expected, glares from the people around were piercing him. Although Ash felt like running away right at this moment, he couldn’t even stand up from being held tightly by Eco.

At that moment, someone was standing beside Ash.

“W-What are you thinking….? Doing something as shameless as this in the public!”

The scold shocked Ash. It sounded familiar. No, it doesn’t just sound familiar.

As expected, he saw Princess Silvia her royal highness herself.

“The enemy of women shall face the hammer of death! This is my family motto!”

An iron fist that had enough force to break a rock swung at his face.

===Part 9===
“With this, you should be alright.”

The person who took care of Eco was Silvia’s maid, Cosette Shelley.

Since she herself was quite a famous person in the academy, Ash knew a little about her. Even though they were on the streets, Cosette was wearing the palace’s maid attire. Quite a number of people were looking at her out of curiosity.

Eco started to regain her sense after drinking the water given to her by Cosette who had gotten it from a nearby shop. According to Cosette, the Ansal will be diluted if a huge amount of water was drunk.

“Huff…”

Although her checks were still red, at least she could finally sit still. Ash breathe a sigh of relieve.

“Thank you, Cosette-san. You really help me there…”

“Tee Hee, you are welcome.”

“Tsk. I am surprise that you fed a young dragon Ansal! What had you learn in class!”

Silvia scolded.

“Didn’t Princess-sama fed the newborn Lancelot with Ansal Tea too?”

“Don’t talk about the past!”

Silvia was blushing. It seems she too had the same experience.

“Before that, why was she born in the form of a human and not a dragon? It had become a rumor in the entire academy.”

“Huh? I didn’t knew that Princess-sama who don’t even have a friend would be interested in gossip.”

Silvia was blushing again.

“Be quiet! I-I had not interest in any kind of gossip. Cosette was always talking about all kinds of things, it was just by chance that I heard it!”

“Huhu… Every time I mention about Ash-sama, didn’t you become excited?”

“N-Never!”

In truth, everyone knew that Silvia was always alone.

She would make everyone nervous with just her presence alone.

It happened not because of her status as a Princess. Alright, it is probably one of the reasons. However, the main reason was because of her stubbornness.

“Well, doesn’t everything turned out well. At least you had found Ash-sama.”

After being pointed out by Cosette, not only her checks, even her ears were red.

“What are you talking about! I did not come to the streets on purpose just to search for him!”

“Alright, alright. We will take what you said as the truth. Heehee...”

Although Cosette looked like an honest person at a first glance, she was actually a bully. Silvia was almost in tears.

“Didn’t Princess-sama have something to say to Ash-sama? Please don’t worry about me. I will turn around and face the other side.”

“Don't joke with me! Even when you are facing the other side, you will still try to listen!”

“Huhu. That is the duty of a maid. Just take me as the statue of Venus at the end of a street.”

“Venus! You look more like the reincarnation of Mórrígan herself!” <ref>The Morrígan("phantom queen") is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have been considered a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty</ref>

At that moment, Eco’s nose twitched.

“A…Aa….Achoo!”

A cute sneeze.

''-Fshoos.''

A strong wind was created in front of Eco and it had flipped up Silvia’s skirt.

It was white and laced.

Also, the knots on both sides of her waist were all imprinted in Ash’s mind.

“String…!”

“Don’t look!”
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 096.jpg|thumb]]

Just when Silvia’s iron fist was going to knock into Ash’s face, Eco made her move.

She stretched her arms from under Ash’s armpits and stopped Silvia. It seemed to be a reaction only possessed by dragons. It seemed that she was no longer drunk.

“…Eco?”

Ash was surprised that Eco protected him.

“What are you doing?”

Silvia asked in a cold voice.

“You on the other hand. What are you trying to do when you are just a dumb human. This person’s master is no other than me. The only person in this world who can punish him is me!”

“What kind of logic is that!”

Eco and Silvia were confronting each other as if Ash was unrelated.

“Hmph… Whatever.”

Silvia was the first one who backed off. She lowered her fist and turned around. Her golden hair looked dazzling while being blown by the air.

“Ash Blake! I have only one thing to tell you!”

Silvia turned around facing them.

“T-That is… What I had told you previously was wrong.”

“Huh?”

“During that time, I lost my temper. In truth, your Pal was born successfully.”

Silvia who was embarrassed had her sight wandering around. At one moment when her sight and Ash’s connected, she immediately looked away.

Seeing that, Cosette was grinning with a hand in front of her mouth.

“Princess-sama?”

“I-In another words… Err… How should I put this… I will take back what I said. Admitting one’s fault is one of my family’s motto!”

After that, Silvia left.

“Then I too will take my leave.”

After announcing her leave, Cosette gracefully waved her skirt and left following Silvia.

Ash’s mind turned blank after being suddenly apologized to.

''-Like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!''

During that time, Ash challenged Silvia just to make her take back her words. Since he lost the race, he didn’t think it is necessary for her to apologize. Furthermore, he was no longer haunted by her words since Eco was born safely.

However, Silvia still insisted on apologizing even though she was the winner.

“Hmm… She would definitely be the most popular person in the entire academy if she had always acted this way.”

Ash grinned. The next moment, he felt pain on both sides of his cheeks.

It seemed that Eco was squeezing the both sides of his checks.

“H-Heho?(E-Eco)?

Eco was glaring at him with a half-opened eye.

“Could it be that… You have some special feeling for that female? Or is that you have forgotten that I am your master?”

“F-Forry…(S-Sorry…).”

If he ever tried to object, he feared that his face would be squashed. Thus, Ash apologized.

===Part 10===
After buying Eco’s daily needs, Ash was standing in front of a public toilet with both of his hands full of grocery bags. Eco had mentioned that she needed to use the toilet and that is why Ash was standing there.

“How long is she going to make me wait!”

She had entered the toilet for some time and had no sign of her coming out. To make it worst, Ash could take a peek since it was the ladies.

“Hey!”

“What is it? Please don’t bother me.”

“Are you interested in the ladies?”

“Of course. If I am allowed, I would even enter and take a good look...”

“So you are this kind of a person… It was wrong of me to think highly of you, Ash Blake!”

“Huh?”

Ash immediately came back to his sense. Who exactly was the person who was talking to him?

Unfortunately, the moment he turned around, he was kicked.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing!”

Ash regretted what he just said.

“What the hell are you doing…? Yeah, right. That was what I was going to ask you!”

The person in front of Ash was not some stranger. Right now, she was scolding with her arm crossed. Her golden hair at this moment looked like a lion.

As usual, Cosette was following Silvia from behind and was smiling.

“Why were you standing around suspiciously in front of the ladies? You look like a total pervert no matter how I look at you.”

“No… It is just that Eco had not come out from the toilet yet and I am a little worried. That all is what I was thinking. Nothing apart from that.”

“Why don’t you mention it earlier? I will take a look in your stead if you are okay with it.”

Ash was grateful for Cosette’s help.

“Please do!”

“Let’s go, Princess-sama.”

“Me too?”

“Helping those in need is the responsibility of a royal. That’s is from the proud family motto of the Lautreamont Knight Family.”

“I-I knew that!”

Silvia was in shock when the driving seat was taken away from her by Cosette. She then hurriedly entered the ladies.

===Part 11===
Moments later, Silvia and Cosette returned.

“We didn’t see Eco but in exchange, we found this on the floor.”

What Silvia was holding was Eco’s beret.

“This… This is definitely Eco’s hat. But why?”

Since Eco entered the toilet, Ash had been standing all along at the entrance.

He will defiantly see her if she had walked out.

“Apart from the hat, we also collected these.”

Cosette who was standing beside Silvia showed him a handkerchief.

“Collected?”

Inside the handkerchief were sparkling powders.

“This is…?”

“In my opinion, it should be the powders of a Bright Dragon crystal.”

A Bright Dragon Crystal is the crystallization of the dragon’s magic. At the same time, it was used to activate the Oracle.

Without borrowing the powers from the Bright Dragon Crystal, humans were unable to use magic. In the first place, it was the dragons that brought magic into this continent.

“It was possible that someone kidnapped Eco with the use of the oracle.”

Ash was full of shivers when he heard Silvia.

“That is why I kept on having the feeling of someone peeping at us.”

“Really? Then the culprit must have been targeting Eco since the start.”

“Damn! Just why…!”

“Stop panicking! Try thinking what you had learned in class.”

She was staring at him with her ice blue eyes.

“The bond between the breeder and his dragon will not break this easily. Even if you can’t see it, there is the Astral flow.”

“Of course I knew that. It is just that what am I suppose to do?”

“If she is a Maestro, you just have to summon her… But it will be impossible for a newborn. In another world, you have to go to her.”

“But how the hell am I to know where she was!”

“That is why you must stop panicking. As a breeder, you should have a Seikoku branded on your skin given to you by the mother dragon.”

Ash certainly has the Seikoku branded on his left arm. Unfortunately, he had lost his memories of the meeting with the mother dragon. But, of course this is not a good time to discuss that.

“Tell me what should I do?”

“The Seikoku is not just a mere tattoo. It is the door for the Astral Flow.”

“By the way… During the time when Eco was born, I certainly remember that my Seikoku reacted.”

“Put your thoughts on remembering that feeling. Then call out to Eco.”

Ash finally knew what she was asking him to do.

“I will give it a try. Thank you, Princess-sama.”

Silvia blushed.

“N-No need for that! Dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. It is my duty to help those who are in need!”

After saying, she turned around.

Cosette was grinning from behind.

“Let’s begin.”

Ash rolled up his sleeve and removed his bandage. The sight of his Seikoku gave Silvia a shock.

“T-That is your seikoku?”

“It seems so…”

Ash had always hated his Seikoku. If it is possible, he wouldn’t even want anyone to know about it. But, right now, it is an emergency.

“What should we do next?”

“It is hard to describe this in words…. First, focus your thoughts on the Seikoku. Then, think strongly about Eco.”

“This seems to be overly abstract. Are you sure about this?”

“It is not like I have a choice. The Seikoku was the product of magic. It would be impossible to describe it using a human language since the beginning.”

“Well, anyway… I will give it a go!”

Under the sight of both Silvia and Cosette, Ash lifted his left arm and held his left wrist with his right hand.

Next, he focused his thoughts on the Seikoku on his left arm.

Ash could somehow feel the Seikoku being heated up.

“Please… Tell me Eco’s location…”

After a few mumbles, Ash was thinking only about Eco.

Since he was seven, Eco who was in his body had never left his side even once.

Eco should had born earlier, had overslept for an extra three years.

Even so, Ash had always been waiting.

Even when he was looked down upon, he had always been waiting.

Eco was finally born. Although it was unexpected and there were many unexplained stuff going on, still there was one obvious truth.

Eco is his Pal.

“Answer me, please…”

Suddenly, Ash’s Seikoku had turned red.

“This is…!”

The magic from the Seikoku had taken the form of a butterfly. It seemed to be leading Ash.

The location should be where Eco was.

“I can see it!”

Comapre to Ash who was over the moon, Silvia and Cosette seemed confused.

“…What do you see?”

It seemed that Silvia and Cosette were unable to see the butterfly formed from his Seikoku. First, Ash don’t have the time to explain to them and secondly, he did not know how to put this into words.

“I am heading to where Eco is!”

Ash started chasing after the butterfly.

“Hold on! It is dangerous to go there alone! I will go with you!”

“I will follow Princess-sama even if we are heading to hell.”

“Please don’t speak off such unlucky stuff!”

Ash was not bothered by any of them and continued to chase after the butterfly.

===Part 12===
The butterfly that was formed from magic could easily fly pass humans. Ash and the rest were avoiding the other pedestrian while they were running along the alley.

“This is…”

The butterfly had finally arrived at an isolated corner of the eastern district. It was a mansion built in the middle of a huge land. Since it was old, it looked like a haunted house. It had not yet been confirmed whether there is anyone staying there.

“A-Are you sure that Eco was here?”

Silvia was shocked.

Silvia who was usually full of confidence had turned pale.

“The Seikoku had certainly showed us this place.”

“I-I see.”

“Hey, you don’t look good at all. Could it be that…. You are scared?”

Though Ash was just fooling around, Silvia overly responded.

“I-Imposible!”

It was obvious that Silvia was lying. Although she doesn’t look like it, she was actually very timid.

“A-Anyway, we can only depend on the Seikoku’s lead. In the worst case scenario, I just have to summon Lancelot and have this place burnt down.”

“Huhu. This is more like it.”

“No, it is bad to summon Lancelot in the middle of the streets! Cosette-san, please don’t encourage her!”

Just when they were arguing, the butterfly flew into the house.

Silvia was right, right now, they could only depend on the Seikoku.

“Wait for me, Eco!”

Ash pushed open the metal door. ‘Crrrreeek’ comes the sound for the rust rubbing against each outher.

“What in the world is that?”

Once they stepped into the garden, Silvia turned shocked.

Every certain distant was a stone slab. It looked as if it was a magic circle. At the top of the stone slab was a Bright Dragon Crystal. All of them were glittering.

Although they were unclear of its usage, it seemed to be able to activate the Oracle.

“These stone slabs certainly looked weird.”

Ash too had stopped his tracks and was looking at the stone slabs.

“For a rundown looking house to posses such a huge amount of bright dragon crystal, it certainly doesn’t look natural. You usually have to have a huge amount of money to buy this amount of Bright Dragon Crystal… I have a bad feeling. First, let us check the background of the owner of this house…”

“We don’t have time for that. We must first save Eco.”

Ash rejected her suggestion and rushed in. It is not that Silvia’s suggestion was wrong. It was just that they don’t have the time to do any investigation before they found about Eco’s condition.

“H-Hold on! W-Wait for me!”

As expected, Silvia who was timid hurriedly chase after Ash.

===Part 13===
Being shone under the familiar warm light, Eco woke up with a yawn.

She still remembered that she was in the toilet of the shopping district and was going to wash her hands. Her memories after that were blank.

After realizing in what kind of a situation she was in, Eco was horrified.

“W-What is the meaning of this!”

Eco was lying down facing the ceilings while she was being tired up. Apart from her knee socks, she was stark naked.

The tools that were used to tie her up were made from strong materials. Eco couldn’t move an inch even after she tried with her entire might.

“What is happening…?’

Eco was looking around.

There was not even a single window. The sources of lights were from lamps powered by Bright Dragon Crystals. Eco was probably familiar with this kind light because she is a dragon.

In the area around her were many medical tools. The bookshelves by the walls were also stuffed full with documents.

There was a dragon model that was being placed on a table. It was not just a model but also a specimen. It doesn’t feel good looking at it.

“Where am I?”

At that moment, a door was opened slowly.

“How do you feel?”

The person by the door was a woman wearing a spectacle.

“Who are you? How dare you to do such a thing to me!”

“I can see that you are in a high spirit. I like it.”

Eco’s threat was useless against the woman.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 113.jpg|thumb]]

''‘Clank! Clank!’''It was the sounds of her heels when she approached Eco.

“It is really unbelievable that a dragon was born in the form of a human.”

“What did you say?”

The woman’s words had caught Eco’s attention. It seemed that she kidnapped her while knowing that she is a dragon.

“What actually was the dragon thinking? For them to send a young dragon like you into this world?”

“H-How am I to know!”

The woman had become more curious.

“Did you really not know? Didn’t you share the memories of your dragon ancestral? According to the ancient documents, such a thing happens.”

“If you are talking about the Dragweiss, then to further disappoint you, I can’t access it on my own yet.”

“I see. So, I just have to question your body directly.”

''-Hic…!''

Suddenly the woman’s hand started to move.

There was a silver flash right in front of Eco’s nose.

With a closer look, the thing that pierced the wall was a scalpel.

“D-Don’t tell me that…. You…”

The woman replied naturally while taking out a second scalpel.

“Dissection is the basic for biology.”

===Part 14===
Ash was running on the corridor where its floor had started creaking.

Every time they saw a spider or a rat, Silvia would give a squeak. Although Ash would like to look at her while she was making those looks, his priority was to save Eco.

“Urgh…”

Ever since just moments before, a change occurred in his Seikoku on his left arm. It was getting hotter and lights started glowing. Though all the windows in the house were sealed up, thanks to the lights from his Seikoku, they were able to see clearly.

Finally, the Seikoku led them to a door that led to the basement.

It looked sturdy.

Just when Ash was wandering whether he should try calling out or bang in, Silvia made her move.

“Move to a side! I will have it blow open!”

“…Princess-sama?”

Ash who turned pale took a few steps back. Silvia took out a red Bright Dragon Crystal.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

At the same time the Bright Dragon Crystal glows, a power was shot at the door.

After a loud bang, the door blast opened.

“Eco!”’

Ash shouted the moment he entered the room. Because it was excessively done by Silvia, dark smokes appeared all over the place.

Ash was worried that Eco was injured by it.

Finally the smoke cleared.

“…What a rude bunch of brats.”

Standing right in front of Ash was a lady in white.

Her spectacles made her look like someone knowledgeable. As for her age, she looked like she was around twenty five. Also, she was wearing a white lab coat which made her look like a doctor or a researcher.

Right behind her was Eco lying stark naked while being tied up.

“What are you doing to my Pal!”

Ash was full of rage when he saw Eco lying in that condition.

Eco was almost in tears when she saw Ash.

“You are late! Untie me this instant!”

“Sorry…. Why am I apologizing?”

“What!”

Eco was getting mad but since she was tied up, Ash couldn’t feel her imposingness. On the other hand, her looks made it bad for Ash’s heart.

After moving his sight away from Eco, Ash was glaring at the women in white.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am just performing my duties given by the academy. Alright, I admit that my method is a little too forceful.”

The woman answered calmly.

“Duties given by the academy?”

Just when Ash was being confused, Silvia who was standing behind him suddenly shouted.

“She is… Dr.Angela Cornwell.”

“What!”

“I had heard rumors that the professor had a laboratory in the city… Never in my entire life had I ever thought that it is located in this kind of a place.”

“You must be kidding…”

“Doctor, I had always been a fan of your thesis.”

Silvia took a step forward and shook hands with Angela in the same way she would have treat a country’s guest.

“It is my honour, your highness.”

Angela who answered without hesitating had somehow loosen the tension.

Ash was staring at her with his mouth wide open.

''-Dr.Angela Cornwell.''

It was a name he had heard from Rebecca that morning itself. She was a highly rated scholar whom was asked by the academy to examine Eco.

However, Rebecca had mentioned that she was busy and it may require some time before she could examine Eco.

Since everything was written on Ash’s face, Angela smiled.

“I always receive many boring request from the academy. Though at first I was not at all interested in this at all…. My motivation gushed out when I heard that a dragon was born in the form of a human. I had been spying at both of you since this morning.”

It appears that the feeling of someone spying on them that Ash had was from Angela.

“Since you just received your request from the academy in the morning… How did you manage to spot us?”

“Ash-kun, I had always been noticing you. Aren’t you the Breeder who doesn’t have a Pal? At the same time, aren’t you also the genius who can ride on any dragon? It is you who didn’t knew that you are famous through the school.”

“I see… Wait! Hold on!”

Ash was overjoyed when he was praised by a beautiful adult woman. However, he regained his sense immediately.

“No matter what the reasons are, what you are doing is kidnapping! On the other hand, what are you trying to do with that scalpel!”

“Of course for dissecting.”

Angela answered as if it was a natural thing to do.

“D-Dissecting! Are you serious!”

“That’s right. Even if it is a dragon, we would have to dissect it if we want to know more.”

“…You disappoint me! Eco is going home with me!”

After he declared, Ash moved towards Eco.

“I won’t allow that.”

Angela blocked right in front of Ash.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“How would I let such an interesting sample walk away easily. Also… Apart from her, there is another thing that caught my interests.”

Angela was staring at Ash’s Seikoku.

“Shit…!”

Only then Ash remembered that he had forgotten that his Seikoku was exposed.

“So that’s a Seikoku huh? Until today, I had seen many Breeder’s Seikoku, but something like that is a first time for me. Can I take a closer look?”

“Absolutely not! You don’t even know the reason why I tried so hard to hide this!”

When Ash was enrolled in the academy, there were many students who noticed his abnormal Seikoku and treated him like a monster.

In truth, to the rest of the people, it looked like an ill omen.

“I see… You are afraid of your own Seikoku.”

“T-That's not true!”

Ash cheeks were getting hot. Just as Angela had said, Ash was afraid of his own Seikoku.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Eco’s call had averted his attention away from his Seikoku.

Eco was still being tied.

“Anyway, please move aside!”

“Then we will have Her Highness to decide this.”

“Me?”

Silvia was troubled because the topic was suddenly shifted to her.

“A-About this… I can more or less know how the professor feels. Since Eco was undeniably a special dragon.”

“As expected from Her Highness.”

Her words made Angela smile. However Silvia still continued to speak.

“But, dragons are holy beasts that symbolized our country. I will not allow you to dissect her!”

“Princess-sama…!”

Although her explanations seemed to be slightly off topic, Ash was still thankful for that.

“… How disappointing.”

At that instant, Ash felt that the air in the room had turned sticky.

“Princess-sama, please stay alert! Angela is well known for doing what it takes to make her research a success.”

Although she was speaking in a calm tone, Cosette’s face had gotten serious. She stood in front of Silvia and was facing Angela.

“... Not bad for just a maid.”

Angela’s facial expression had changed. Killing intents were gushing out from behind the two lenses.

“Professor…. Don’t try anything rash. I can summon Lancelot anytime.”

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Fine with me!”

Silvia was holding her Bright Dragon Crystal.

“In the name of Silvia Lautreamont! Lancelot! Answer my summon!”

There was just only the sound of her voice.

“…”

Ten seconds had passed, twenty seconds had passed… A minute had passed.

Nothing had happened at all. The room was full of silent. Ash was hoping for Lancelot to make a magnificent appear.

“H-How is this possible!”

Silvia was speaking out her mind.

“Have you not notice? This mansion is being protected in an Oracle field.”

“Could it be those stone slabs in the garden…!”

Angela gave a victorious smile.

“Correct. That device was used to create a barrier by using the Oracle. No matter what you do, as long as you are in this room, Lancelot will never arrive. This device was normally used to prevent any break in.”

“Prevent any break in? Then the reason that we are able to enter easily is…?”

“Just as expected from Her Highness herself. When I found out about the both of you, I had the device shut off.”

Then way of Angela’s speech had become crueler.

“Princess-sama… This person is dangerous. We have to leave this place even if we are forced to use Ash-san as a meat shield.”

“I am a shield!”

What Cosette said was bothering Ash and he made a comment on it, then he immediately turned around facing Angela.

“Are you sure that you want to do this? You will be charged for treason by just pointing your knife at Princess-sama.”

“So? Even a Princess shall not bother with my research.”

“Seems like we have to resolve this by force.”

While she was speaking, she activated the Oracle.

''“Crimson Ex-Breath!”''

After a shout, a flash came from her Bright Dragon Crystal and then it was followed by a bang.

While trying to keep himself from being blown away from the blast, Ash grumbled:

“I think you over did this! Even with all this, she is still a professor that be considered as the country’s treasure!”

“It is not like I have a choice! This magic itself is hard to control!”

“Both of you, don’t you think that this is not a right time to argue?”

The person who had interrupted the both of them was unexpectedly Cosette. She was staring at the pile of smoke.

“Impossible…”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

“You thought that you could win by using Oracle?”

Angela remains standing even after the smoke had cleared. Apart from her lab coat being torn and smoked, she was totally fine.

“That’s….”

Ash noticed her bracelet had a black stone on it.

It was not just a normal rock.

Judging from it special radiance, it should be a Bright Dragon Crystal.

“Now that I think of it, the professor was famous for using the Oracle…”

Angela smiled at Silvia as if she was pitting her.

“It is too late. I will not allow you to leave this place until I am done with dissecting her. ''Dark Mother Lullaby''!”

After she had summoned the Oracle, a flash came from the Bright Dragon Crystal on her bracelet.

At the same time, there was also a change on the floor.

Beautiful patterns started to appear.

“This… A magic circle.”

Silvia lost her balance right after she cursed.

“Princess-sama…”

Cosette who tried to help Silvia had also lost her balance.

“Urgh… What is this…?”

Ash’s legs too had started to betray him.

Although his consciousness still remains, with just a little push, he would be baited by the Oracle.

“This is a magic circle drawn using the powder of a Bright Dragon Crystal. We won’t be able to learn this in the academy. But…. How do you manage to remain conscious?”

Angela was looking at Ash with looks of unbelievable.

“What are you doing! If you fall asleep right now… I will never forgive you!”

Eco was shouting even when she had turned pale white.

Eco’s tone was still being haughty. But considering Ash had fallen and she was going to be dissect, it was understandable.

''-Ba-dump!''

Ash’s Seikoku was burning.

Ash's Seikoku was glowing with red colour similar to yesterday when Eco was born. Right now, it looked like a burning torch.

“This…!”

Ash was shocked from the amount of heat burning on his left arm.

He was no longer sleepy.

For the first time, Angela’s face looked shaken.

“Could it be that… Eco’s magic was sent through the Astral Flow…?”

Anyway, Angela seems to notice the change of Ash’s left arm.

“No matter what…!”

Ash swung his left arm the same moment he stood up.

The winds created had blown off the magic circle. At the same time, Angela’s bracelet was destroyed and the black Bright Dragon Crystal broke into pieces.

“I-It can’t be!”

Angela who was always calm was definitely shaken.

“Return my Pal right at this moment!”

While ignoring Angela who was stunned, Ash move towards Eco.

The strong binding tools were broken by Ash in just a blink of an eye.

“*Sob*… You are late!”

Eco who was freed was hugging Ash while complaining. Then she started crying.

“Eco…”

This was an unexpected development for Ash and he started panicking.

For the time being, Ash tried comforting her by patting her back. But just as he touched her bare back…

“Hic…”

It was probably that Ash’s fingers were cold or Eco’s body was over sensitive, her body jerked.

“…Eco?”

“You… How dare a pet like you dare to touch me!”

Once again Eco swung her fist and Ash was knocked against the wall.

===Part 15===
Time flew pass. Without noticing, it was already four in the evening.

After leaving the laboratory, the four of them were heading back to the dormitory.

Eco who was tired of crying was sleeping peacefully on Ash’s back. Her face looked like an angel.

“Good grief, what a bad day… Sorry for involving you even though it was our problem.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was Princess-sama who chose to save Eco.”

Cosette who was walking side by side with Ash was smiling. Although she too was carrying Silvia who was fast asleep, her footsteps were steady.

Just like Eco, Silvia who was always acting strict looked just like angel after she was fast asleep.

“Cosette, are you alright?”

After Ash had saved Eco, she immediately stood up. Since Silvia had yet to be woken up, it signifies that Angela’s was using a strong magic. However, Cosette doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

During the entire time, it was Cosette who found Eco’s clothes, Cosette who coaxed Eco and Cosette who help Eco put on her clothes.

If it was Ash, he would be panicking all along in the laboratory.

“Huhu. That is because I am a maid.”

“It is just because of this?”

“Of course.”

Cosette was always replying him with a smile that could even ward off evil. Even Angela’s anger was soothed by her smile.

“Ash-san I actually have a favour to ask.”

“What the matter?”

“Please keep today’s incident a secret. It is because…”

“Aaah… Alright.”

Ash understood what Cosette was trying to say.

To save Eco, Silvia had trespassed Angela’s mansion and was put to sleep from an Oracle. It is be a disgrace to the royal family.

“I understand. Though it is a pity that I am unable to announced Angela’s bad doing, I still think that she had gotten what she deserved.”

Seeing Ash smiles, Cosette burst out into laughter.

“When she found out that her Oracle was useless against Ash-sama, she was in a shock. During that time, Ash-sama looked great.”

Ash’s heart was beating nonstop since this was the first time he was praised by a girl.

“That’s not it. During that time, I was only thinking of saving Eco. Putting that aside, have you been watching the whole incident?”

“Huhu.”

As if she was trying to hide something, Cosette just replied with a playful smile.

''Once again, a woman who is full of secrets…'' Ash thought so.

===Part 16===
The second day.

Something happened out of Ash’s expectation.

Even before the first period, the students were silenced by a woman in white who entered the classroom.

“Aaaaa!”

Ash and Silvia shouted at the same time. Everyone around was staring at them.

The lady stood on the podium and smiled.

“I am Angela Cornwell. I came here as replacement of your previous homeroom teacher Sebastian-sensei who had retired.”

“What the…”

There should be one more year before Sebastian-sensei reached his retirement age. This should be the work of Angela.

According to the academy, it is an honour to be able to hire a person like Angela as a teacher.

“You can call me ‘Angela-sensei’.”

Both Ash and Silvia were staring at Angela with their mouth opened.

“S-She never learns…”

Since their teacher was suddenly changed into a beautiful lady, while being led by Raymond, all of the boys in the class were cheering except Ash.

Needless to say, Angela was still targeting Eco.

“Please take care of me.”

Just as expected, Angela was glaring at Ash with her eagle like eyes with a cold smile.

"My Baby Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

<noinclude>

==References and Translation Notes==
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| Forward to [[Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 1 Chapter 3

2015-08-22T15:34:05Z

Platypi4E4: /* Chapter 3 - Necromancia's Attack */ Changed "Defen's'e" to "Defen'c'e" (In line with British English Editor preference)

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

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

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

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

And Ash was staying with such a beautiful girl.

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

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

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

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

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

Raymond’s eyes widen.

“Student council…? Why?”

“Err, the president asked for me.”

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

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

“I have nothing to say to you…”

“Err… did ''it'' goes well?”

“What is ''it''?”

Ash asked while Raymond pushed his face nearer.

Raymond was looking totally serious.

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

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

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

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

Raymond smile sinisterly.

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

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

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

“Urgh…”

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

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

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

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

“Please enter.”

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

“Sorry for interrupting.”

He timidly opened the door and walked into the office.

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

“Ahhh, Ash. You finally came!”

Rebecca turned around and stared at Ash.

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

“Err…”

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

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

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

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

“Y-Yes…”

Ash sat at a corner of the sofa, frightened.

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

Ash was uneasy.

“That…”

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

However, Rebecca showed a playful smile.

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

“I-Is it…?”

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

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

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

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

“True value?”

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

Rebecca suddenly stopped smiling and moved towards the main topic.

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

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

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

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

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

“So Rebecca-san also thinks so?”

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

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

“Uwaa! It must be troublesome…”

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

“It is true…!?”

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

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

“W-What are you talking about?”

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

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

“Err…About that…”

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

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

Rebecca’s face was getting closer and closer.

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

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

“Alright, I guess.”

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

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

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

“Take it slowly, there are many more.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly, Silvia pressed her hands against her chest.

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

Her memories when she was seven came into her mind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Tsk, what a child you are.”

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

“Speaking of that…”

Silvia was thinking about Ash.

The only student who dared to challenge Silvia Lautreamont.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“A dragon has gone mad!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Observe…”

Ash couldn’t hide his sad looks.

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

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

Ash with a ‘Hah’ lifted his head.

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

“In the end, just who are those two?”

The masked man called Milgauss with an extraordinary temperament.

The girl who wanted to have Ash killed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

-That war.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That…!”

Seeing that Ash had turned pale, Rebecca smiled.

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

“That… It is you, Rebecca-san.”

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

“Even me?”

“Yes, even you.”

Rebecca pressed forward and their shoulders were touching each other.

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

Ash was shocked by the unexpected invitation.

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

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

“But…!”

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

“No, that exaggeration is…”

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

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

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

Rebecca’s body heat could be felt by Ash.

Ash’s heart was at the verge of exploding.

“To be exact, I want you.”

“Rebecca-san…”

“Can you please think about it?”

“No, but… If I… The student council-”

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

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

“Level two emergency state…?”

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

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

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

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

Rebecca gave a wry smile.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is bad!”

Rebecca suddenly shouted.

“Princess-sama…!”

Ash’s eyes widen.

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

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

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

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

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

Ash mumbled:

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

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

“Me?”

Ash couldn’t understand what Rebecca was saying.

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

“Just because of such things…”

Ash frowned.

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

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

“There is no need for that.”

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

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

“About that…”

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

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

“So, what should we do…?”

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

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

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

“I will end this quickly.”

With that, Rebecca disappeared.

“Rebecca-san!”

Rebecca jumped down from the window.

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

''“Answer my summon…Cú Chulainn!”''

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

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

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

Cú Chulainn roared in respond to Rebecca’s summon.

There was light surrounding Rebecca’s body.

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

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

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

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

“That is… the Ark!”

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

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

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

''Whoosh!''

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

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

“Kyaaa!”

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

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

“Princess-sama!”

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

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

“Ash, Her Highness is in your care!”

“Huh?”

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

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

“Uwaa!”

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

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

“…”

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

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

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

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

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

An Ark was not just simply an armour.

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

''“Gáe Bolg!”''

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

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

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

===Part 6===

“Uuh…”

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

“Wha…! What are you doing…!”

She was blushing.

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

The moment he warned, Silvia fell.

“Urgh… What are you doing!”

Silvia was glaring at Ash with tears in her eyes.

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

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

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

“…Princess-sama?”

“Urgh…!”

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

“What is the matter, Princess-sama…?”

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

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

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

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

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

“The crepes are calling out to me!”

With this reason alone, Ash went out with Eco.

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

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

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

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

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

“Kyaa!”

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

“Sorry, it was my bad!”

Ash immediately held out his hand.

“No… Me too. Because I am careless…”

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

The moment she saw Ash, her face stiffen.

“Y-You…”

Her eyes widen.

“Is there anything… On my face?”

“Nooooo!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Give me one Ansal Crepe!”

“Stop!”

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

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

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

“That’s impossible!”

''He should have been dead.''

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

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

“No, that’s not it!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What should I do…”

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

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

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

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

“Damn!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I… What should I do?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eco immediately took a bite of the vanilla flavoured crepe.

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

“Hmm… Vanilla is also not bad!”

Eco’s eyes glittered.

“That’s good to hear.”

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

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

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

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

“Hey, why are they gathering there?”

Eco asked after she finished her crepe.

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

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

“Whose statue… Is that?”

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

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

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

“You knew it?”

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

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

“Huh?”

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

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

“Is that so… Now I see.”

Ash believed everything she said.

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

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

“What are you doing!”

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

“…What happened?”

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

After that, Eco ran off.

Only then, Ash remembered his past lessons.

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

“So I see.”

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

“Hey, wait for me!”

Ash smiled and chased after Eco.

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

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

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

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

Ash sighed.

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

“What a nice smell.”

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

“This is…”

Ash finally noticed the sweet smell coming from the shop.

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

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

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

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

“What happened previously?”

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

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

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

“…Eco?”

Ash had a bad feeling.

“Unn…!”

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

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

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

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

“Damn… What a troublesome shop!”

His priority is to bring Eco away from this shop.

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

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

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

“…Princess-sama?”

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

“…”

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

===Part 11===

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

“This is… Dragon Fang?”

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

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

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

“So I see…”

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

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

Rebecca and Silvia.

Namely, Scarlet Empress and Ice Blue Princess.

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

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

“Fyunn…”

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

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

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

“…Sorry.”

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

“Enjoy…”

Ash was distressed and heartbroken.

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

“I will keep that in mind.”

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

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

“Ahh, it was me who invited her out.”

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

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

Rebecca smiled cheekily and took out a piece of paper.

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

“Ahh… Now I remember.”

Now it had started to make sense.

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

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

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

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

“Sorry for the wait.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“How are the streets?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Milgauss lifted the huge black sword and chanted the incantation.

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

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

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

“Uwaa!”

Suddenly, Eco reacted.

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

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

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

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

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

“Funnn...”

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

Ash was also happy just by looking at her.

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

Just then, Ash remembered what Rebecca had told him.

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

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

Ash made up his mind and spoke to Silvia:

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

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

Her sharp glare pierced his forehead.

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

Immediately, Silvia’s cheeks had turned red.

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

At that moment, a loud bang came from outside.

“Kyaa!”

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

“What a weird weather...”

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

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

“Hmm… That’s not a good sign.”

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

“Eco?”

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

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

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

Anya’s eyes widened.

A dragon appeared in the middle of St Durham Square.

“That’s… A Necromancia...!”

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

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

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

The Necromancia- A dragon that was resurrected using ashes.

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

Summon the Necromancia and analyze its combat strength.

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

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

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

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

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

''-But…. This is war.''

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

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

The Square was in a mess.

The locals and the tourists were standing still like statues.

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

“W-What is that thing!?”

Ash was shocked when he entered the Square.

The huge beast was landing on the Square.

“Is that… A Dragon?”

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

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

“Its body is rotting…”

Ash gasped.

Apart from that, its body size was surprisingly huge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Eco!”

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

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

“What is she even thinking!”

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

Eco suddenly removed her Beret and showed her horns.

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

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

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

Her imposing attitude touched Ash.

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

The dragon’s gaze slowly turned towards Eco.

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

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Eco!”

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

“You! Knock it off!”

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

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

“Damn… What should I do?”

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

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

''-Don!''

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

“Attacking magic…!”

Ash was dumbstrucked.

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

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

“That…”

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

A few moments later, the smoke cleared out.

“That’s…!”

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

“Rebecca-san!”

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

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

Rebecca’s declaration received cheers from the residents.

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

"Appear! The certain hit magic spear!"

The summoned weapon appeared above Rebecca’s head.

“Gáe Bolg!”

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

“Huh…!?”

Ash’s eyes widened.

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

“It even knew defence magic!”

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

Then it continue was also broke apart easily.

However it was obvious that it had slowed down.

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

The fourth, the fifth… the sixth was penetrated.

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

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

“Yes!”

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

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

The thick smoke had the dragon covered.

Everyone was thinking that Rebecca had won.

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

Then, the smoke started to clear up.

Everyone turned silent.

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

“What in the world is that thing…?”

Ash was shivering.

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

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

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

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

Suddenly, it swung its tail.

After seeing it using high class magic, Ash was surprised to see it change its style to physical attacks. It seems that Rebecca too, was also caught off guard by it which led her to being slow in her reactions.

“Damn…”

Rebecca shouted in surprise.

Although it was just a simple physical attack, the buildings behind the dragon were demolished like toy bricks.

Right now, they could only pray that the people inside the buildings could escape safely.

“Curses…!’

Ash clenched his teeth.

He could only watch the dragon turn the city in ruins as a bystander.

At that moment, Ash thought of a single person.

''-Milgauss, the masked man.''

Since the day he met him in the forest, the still cog had been connected and started spinning. However, it was his instinct that told him that. There was never a single proof.

“W-What in the world is that dragon?”

Once he heard the familiar voice, Ash was brought back to his sense.

Turning around, he saw that Silvia had arrived at the Square.

When Silvia saw the weird dragon, she fell on her backside and was shivering in fear.

Ash immediately came to her side.

“Get a hold of yourself! Princess-sama!”

Though Ash was shouting loudly, Silvia never answered. Seeing such a supernatural sight had caused her to lose all her sense.

Right at that instant, a flying dragon appeared on top of St Durham Square. It was obviously a Maestro since it had silvery white fur.

“Ash! Bring the Princess as far away as you can!”

It was a familiar voice.

He was in charge of the accounts in the student council and also one of Ash’s few friends.

“Max!”

“Leave this to me!... Uwaa!”

Max wasn’t able to finish his sentence.

The grey dragon seeing that a new opponent had appeared immediately gave out a loud roar.

At the same time, it released its ball of light with purple electric.

“Arian!”

Under Max’s command, Arianrhod immediately cast its defence magic. Though it managed to reduced the strength of the light ball, still it had hit and fell towards the ground.

Originally, a dragon shouldn’t be able to fly with such a build. It’s wings are only for decoration purposes. It was magic itself that
enables it to fly.

Ash was shocked when he saw Arianrhod fell towards the ground.

“For it to even bring down Arianrhod with just a single hit…”

Arianrhod had no longer any magic to defend against the second attack.

Rebecca who foresaw that ordered Cú Chulainn to glide down in the area in front of Max and Arianrhod. Without delaying a single moment, she cast her defence magic.

“Rebecca-san!”

For the defending party, Rebecca had totally lost her mobility.

This is the worst situation.

The only choice left is to wait for the Holy Dragners of Lautreamont to arrive. But could the town people really hold on until then?

After all the entire town was already used to the peaceful life.

For example, the entire strength of the security office was just hunting rifles and wooden batons. For offices where they have dragner working there could only be found in the big cities.

The dragon was approaching Rebecca slowly. It probably thought of Rebecca as first to be removed as a target.

Every time the weird dragon took a step, the earth shook and the beautiful tiles turned into rubbles.

It felt as if it was a moving hill. Numerous tentacles had appeared right now and were gripping on Eco.

“Aahhh! What the hell is this thing trying to do!”

Eco continued to struggle. Even though she lost all her mobility, she still had decided that she is not going to ever give up.

“Eco…!”

''That’s it. I must save Eco.''

After all, Eco is Ash’s Pal.

She is none other than Ash’s Pal.

“If it is me… Am I able to do it?”

Ash questioned himself.

An answer flashed through his mind. It gave Ash shivers. But still, it is a gamble.

Right at the instant, Ash remembered Eco enjoying her crepe happily.

“Hold on, it still hasn’t reached that stage yet… Eco!”

There were still many nice things in this word that Eco knew nothing of.

He was not going to let her die like this before teaching her everything.

Ash finally made up his mind.

“I will protect this city. Everybody. And also Eco!”

Yet, there was still one more problem.

Ash needs Silvia’s cooperation to make his plan success.

“Princess-sama! Please get a hold of yourself!”

He shouted towards Silvia who was still sitting on the ground in shock.

However, Silvia’s expression was still blank and continued to shiver. It was as if she is a totally different person from her usual majestic self.

Ash was getting mad.

“Don’t joke with me…. What kind of a Princess are you! Where is the usual family motto! In such times shouldn’t you prove to us what exactly is a royalty made of!”

Ash lifted his right hand.

“I will apologize first! Sorry!”

And he gave Silvia a slap on the face.

The sound was clear.

“…Ash?”

Silvia was staring at Ash dumbstrucked. At least her thoughts were now focused. Although her red cheek was hurting, she had finally calmed down.

“Princess-sama, I had a request. Please summon Lancelot immediately and bring me with you!”

“Bring you? Where to?”

“There!”

Ash was pointing at the moving dragon.

To be more specific, it was above the dragon’s head.

Immediately Silvia knew what he was thinking right now.

“Definitely not! Are you even thinking properly!”

Silvia’s anger raises and stood up suddenly.

''Good, this is great. This is the Silvia that I knew of.''
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 006-007.jpg|thumb|'' Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon: “Your opponent is me!” '']]

Ash stood in front of Silvia. He took a step forward, took a deep breath and shouted to the dragon:

“Your opponent is me!”

Strictly speaking, Ash didn’t even know if the dragon could even notice his voice. Basically the reason for him to shout was to keep his thoughts from wavering. Still, the dragon did stop its footsteps.

It turned its head slowly and glared at both Ash and Silvia.

Silvia facial expression changed immediately.

“Are you an idiot!”

“I'm alright. Princess-sama please summon Lancelot immedi…!”

Before Ash could finish his sentence, the dragon shot a ray of light at them. It was definitely a different type of magic.

Ash only understood that a strong energy shot pass the area above his head.

He raised his head in terror only to find out that the building behind him was crumbling. The three storey building behind him experienced a direct hit from the attacking magic.

How high exactly is the temperature need to melt debris of the building? Before Ash could even think about it, the building had crumbled.

The pile of wreckage was falling towards Ash and Silvia like a waterfall.

“Urgh!”

On the spur of the moment, Ash tried to protect Silvia. He could only shut his eyes and pray.

===Part 16===
“Hey…! Until when are you going to stop acting in such manner?”

“Huh?”

Silvia’s cold voice had given him the push to open his eyes.

Ash though that he was buried under the pile of wreckage, but-.

He felt the wind blowing.

“I am flying…?”

Both Ash and Silvia were in mid air.

Only then Ash realized that he was riding on Lancelot’s back.

Seems like Silvia had summoned Lancelot in the nick of time.

The streets down below looked far away.

Even St Durham Square looked miniature.

The huge body that occupied a quarter of its space still exists.

The problem is Ash was grabbing on to Silvia who was holding the reins from behind and his right hand was even grabbing on to her breast.

The soft feeling made him lost his calm. Since just now where the building started to crumble, his thought had always been blank.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

“Don’t loosen your grip! You may fall!”

Silvia’s warning made him calm down his thoughts and he started apologizing to Silvia. However, he continued grabbing on her.

“…Sorry.”

Obviously Ash had also shifted the position of his right hand. It was probably that he was thinking too much but somehow Silvia’s face had turned red.

At that moment, the dragon released its second attack.

Lancelot in return roared loudly and cast its defence magic. A huge amount of pressure could be felt. Yet, Lancelot remained unharmed.

“Just as expected.”

Ash praised.

“This kind of level is child’s play for Lancelot. Back to the main point… Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Ahh, please bring me to the appointed location. It must be none other than me to execute it.

“… Then I can only have faith in you. Lancelot!”

“Ooooon.” Under Silvia’s order, Lancelot roared.

They were gliding downwards towards the dragon.

The third and the fourth wave of attack were released but Lancelot avoided all of them with an amazing speed without even activating its defence magic.

The distances between both parties were getting shorter until their entire fields of vision were covered by the dragon’s body.

Ash was looking for Eco.

Ash had prepared himself for the worst possible situation, where Eco was swallowed whole by the dragon.

Until now, this is the only chance where he can save Eco.

He made up his mind and stood on Lancelot. To keep his balance, he held on to Silvia’s shoulder. Silvia remained silent while allowing him to do so.

The countdown begins.

-Ten, nine, eight, seven…

They were getting closer to the ground.

-Three, two, one…

Lancelot flew pass the weird body in a very close distance.

“Now!”

Ash jumped towards the wall of grey furs.

With a ‘Bump’ Ash landed safely. However, he slipped and nearly fell off but managed to cling to the furs.

The dragon felt something on its head and was pissed. It shook its head vigorously. For that short moment, Ash felt like he was going to fall off anytime.

He crawled with all his might until he finally reached the space in between the two horns.

Thought there are still many places that could be considered, it was his instinct that told Ash that this was the best place.

With both of his foot on stable ground, Ash immediately stood up.

At the same time, he thought about the feeling of his first ride on a dragon. Basically the situation was the same as yesterday where a young dragon lost control.

A newborn Starda had gone rampage because its master had mistakenly fed it with Ansal Tea.

Just when the Grooms were in a fix trying to keep the situation under control, Ash who had just passed by, by a chance jumped onto the rampaging dragon.

He just had a hunch that he was able to do it.

In the end, he received a good amount of scolding from the school’s director even though he managed to calm the dragon down.

''That’s right, that young dragon was called- Lancelot.''

“…That’s right. I totally forgot about it.”

Ash smiled wryly. The Maestro that Silvia was riding on and the drunken Strada fitted perfectly in his memories.

He finally realized why Silvia was obsessed comparing herself to him.

At the same time, Ash gained his confidence. Since he was able to calm Lancelot down, this weird dragon should not be a problem.

“Let’s begin…”

Through his feet, he forced his conscious into the dragon like growing tree roots and spoke to the dragon gently.

“From now onwards, I am your master.”

The dragon stopped its footsteps in reply to Ash’s words. Although it still continued growling, at the least it had stopped moving.

“That’s it. This is how it should be.”

Ash was smiling from the bottom of his heart.

Just when Ash was thinking of giving it one more push, the dragon swung its head upwards like a trebuchet.

“Uwaa!”

Ash who was not prepared for this was thrown out.

Just moments before knocking into a building, Lancelot flew to his rescue.

“Phew… Saved.”

Ash sat on Lancelot and was just behind Silvia.

“I have never seen an idiot like you!”

Silvia scolded while she was holding Lancelot’s reins.

“Just a little more I could have...”

Ash was speaking with a serious tone. There was not even a hint of him joking. Silvia who had turned speechless looked just like a graceful woman from the back.

What Ash said made sense. He was going to ride it.

===Part 17===
“Haaa… Haaa…”

Eco looked pale. She was hurt by her inability to break free due to her lack of strength.

“Tsk… For a descendant of a mighty dragon…. To lose to a low born dragon…”

Just when she was provoking the dragon…

“Uwaa!”

Ash was thrown out and had made a nice curve with it but was saved by Lancelot.

“What in the world is he trying to do?

Eco was horrified.

What Ash was doing was reckless.

That’s right. Ash was trying to tame this weird dragon by riding it.

If there is to be a single error, Ash will be squashed like a bug.

“Hold on! What are you doing? Why don’t you run away!”

Eco who could endure it no longer shouted.

“Eco! I will save you!”

Ash replied while sitting on Lancelot’s back. He seemed confident judging from his tone.

That sentence had made her realized that Ash tried to save her instead of running away.

“Urgh…!”

Eco was struggling to escape the tentacles.

But the more she struggled, the tighter their grips became.

Right at that moment…

“…Huh?”

Right in front of Eco, the dragon’s belly split open.

On both of the sides of the belly were aligned with row of sharp fine teeth.

It looked like an insect eating plat.

“I-It must have been a bad joke.”

Eco’s face turned pale.

Numerous tentacles appeared and Eco was swallowed into the mouth that looked like the gates of hell.

“Eco-!”

Just when she almost lost conscious, she could barely hear Ash’s cry

===Part 18===
“It seems that you have woken up, my sleeping beauty.”

The bewitching voice had woken Eco up and she hurriedly looked around.

“This is…”

A mysterious room.

The floor was laid by square tile of black and white alternating.

Beside the four walls were statues that had not been completed. An incomplete human body. Incomplete beasts. Models of castle and shrines. And also transports that Eco had never seen before.

Right in front of Eco who was sitting on the bed was a suspicious lady. The lady was sitting on an antique chair lazily. Her brilliant red dress looked extra conspicuous in the monochrome room.
[[Image:Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi v1 205.jpg|thumb]]

On the lady’s head were horns of an adult dragon.

“This is the Dragon Workshop. Also, I am called Navi.”

“Navi…?”

“You just have to take me as another personality that is responsible to teach the immature you… Don’t you think that this is great?”

“I don’t really understand. Also, what’s with your appearance?

Eco was getting uneasy since the first time she saw Navi.

Her looks, hair style and skin colour were exactly like Eco’s. The only difference is that Navi was a few years older.

“Hee hee. Are you worrying about my body? This design is based on a five years older version of you.”

“Wh-What!”

Still, this is just an assumption. You just may not grow up this well. Especially your breast.”

Navi purposely put emphasis on the breast and deliberately shook them.

Eco was getting mad for being made fun of..

“Hmph! It is not like bigger is better!”

“Of course, even the shape is important. But for you… Worrying about the size should be your main concern.”

“What a detestable woman! I will squash you!”

“…Now lets us stop this useless talk as he is going to die if we let him continue what he was doing.”

With a single wave from her right arm, a crystal ball appeared. A high concentration of lights was released by it and a projection of Ash struggling with the weird looking opponent could be seen.

“He is still reckless!”

Eco was looking up towards the screen which was the ceiling.

“In a first look, this is not a bad idea. After all he was born with that gift to ride any kind of dragons. However, this opponent is too much for him to handle. He had no chance of winning against that Necromancia.”

“Necromancia?”

“That’s right. It is a dragon that died once but was resurrected by human technology.”

“Tsk! What should we do…? There is nothing in my ability to help him.”

Eco was saddened.

“Hey, do you know why a holy dragon is called a Maestro.”

Eco was puzzled by the sudden question.

Before the existence of the secret agreement of Albion, the holy dragons were craft workers. This dragon workshop was built by a group of great Maestros. The Ark is only one of the many things created by the Maestros.

Eco finally understood what Navi was trying to say.

“You are telling me that he is lacking an Ark?”

“Good answer. And of course the only person who can present him with the Ark is only you as his Pal.”

“But… How can I…? That’s it!”

Eco remembered her conversation with Ash in St Druham Square.

''-Hmm, if it is the blueprint for the Ark, I have the access to it.''

''-If that’s the case, can you use the blueprint… To create an Ark?''

''-Are you crazy! That’s is nothing but an imitation.''

Even though it is an imitation, it is still an Ark. Certainly, Eco's pride does not allow her to make a copy from her ancestor, but this was an emergency.

Eco accessed the Dragweiss immediately and focused her thoughts. Without delay, the projection on the ceiling started changing.

“It is not like I have a choice either.”

Since year 10 of A.S.B where the secret agreement of Albion was made, there were many blueprints left by the dragons. Apart from the Arks that were worn by humans, there were also those that were made as a trial.

The total amount of blueprints easily exceeds a thousand.

“This…”

Eco was disappointed after read the blueprints.

Every single blueprint was full of details and even copying may become a difficult task.

“Come on! How am I to copy this!”

Just when she was feeling troubled, the thought of St Durham’s Statue flash pass.

She instantly summoned St Durham’s Ark’s blueprint.

Time of production Year 846 A.S.B/ Month of Libra/ 2nd day.

Name of knight Durham Lautreamont

Ark Weapon Magic sword Caliber

Compare to the present, the design and structure five hundred years ago was simpler.

“If it is this Ark, I should be able to do it!”

“You’re naïve.”

Navi smiled coldly.

“Why? Supposing I had no experience in making an Ark, I still inherit the basic knowledge. So what are you even-”

“It just doesn’t work that way. An Ark is an armour that was custom made for its knight. If you just make a copy of a previous work, he
won’t be able to wear it. If you force it on him, it may even endanger his life.”

“What! Then this isn’t even an option to begin with!”

“Hehe. When did I mention that? The Dragweiss had collected a huge amount of blueprints since the old times. It is possible to select parts of the armour that fits him from this amount of blueprints.”

By shaking a crystal, an infinite amount of blueprints appeared on the ceiling.

“…Could it be that!”

Eco finally understood what Navi means.

“That’s right. We will select parts of the armour that fits him and reorganized them.”

“But, can I do it? For starters, how am I going to know if the parts suit him?”

Eco was worrying about the most important part.

Before an Ark was made, it requires that data of the person wearing it. First is the height and then follow by a mountain full of information.

“That’s impossible!”

“Ara. If you are talking about his data, I already have it here with me.”

Navi smiled cheekily touched Eco’s forehead with the crystal ball. In an instant, all the information in the crystal ball flowed into Eco’s head.

“This… Is his data?”

Eco was able to construct a three dimensional structure using the huge amount of information.

“-!”

Eco blushed. Ash image in her mind was stark naked. Every single detail on his body was clearly recorded.

“A-A perfect data…. But how did this data get into your hands?”

“I was expecting something similar to this to happen. Just before you were born, I sneaked into his dream. Actually I finished collecting my data in just a night but since he is too cute, I had been doing that for a whole week.”

“H-How dare you toy with my pet dog!”

Navi was laughing in front of the angry Eco.

“I can see that someone is jealous.”

“T-There is no way that I-I….”

“Is that so? But why are you blushing?”

“I am gonna squash you!... Erm, this is not the right time and place to argue!”

“That’s the spirit. So let’s begin.”

Navi slowly stood up.

“I don’t know whether I am capable of doing it but… this is the only choice left!”

Eco finally made up her mind.

===Part 19===

Even though it had been three times, Ash never gave up. On the other hand, he was saved by Lancelot every single time.

Lucky for him, the grey dragon had Lancelot locked on as its target. Every single attack was directed towards Lancelot which in turn, reduced the amount of destruction towards the city.

However, there is a limit to the amount of magic that Lancelot possesses. In truth, it flying speed had been greatly reduced.

“Lancelot is at its limit…”

Ash understood her frustration from her words.

“I understand. This time will be the final!”

Silvia signal Lancelot to change its direction and dive down towards the middle of the square. Right at that moment…

“Tell me that is not true…”

Eco was suddenly swallowed into the dragon’s belly.

“Eco!”

Ash shouted in dismay.

They are not able to make it in time.

Eco was eaten whole by that monster right in front of Ash.

“Damn!... It's my fault for being weak…!”

“Don’t give up!”

Silvia reminded Ash who felt that he was going to break apart in despair.

“She may still be alive! If you give up at this moment, she will definitely die for sure!”

Ash immediately kept his cool. Silvia was right. If not because of she was holding the reins with both hands, she is sure to give him a slap on the face like what he did to her.

Suddenly, the Seikoku on his left arm started hurting. It was the same feeling as the time where Eco was kidnapped by Angela.

“Eco…!”

The reaction from the Seikoku made him felt relief.

This proofs that his link with Eco had not yet been cut off.

“Yeah… I mustn’t give up yet. Princess-sama! Please bring me to where the monster is!”

“That’s the spirit!”

Once again, Lancelot started diving downwards.

===Part 20===
“Give me a break! Why can’t I get it right!”

Eco was shouting in desperation.

The opponent that Ash was battling was a Necromancia.

Its element is ‘dark’.

Naturally, the Ark that she is going to present to Ash should have the ‘light’ element in it. It had been a common knowledge since the ancient times that light can conquer darkness.

“Urgh…! Just as expected, this is impossible…”

Eco was sitting on her knees in disappointment.

Tears were dripping from her eyes. It was the first time Eco ever cried from the feeling of regret.

''“Don’t give up!”''

At that moment, Eco heard something.

The owner of the sound was none other than Ash.

“Is it him…?”

Eco lifted her head up.

Ash was still continuing his fight.

While fighting against the dragon, he was calling out to Eco.

''“I will save you! I still believe that you are still alive! That is why… That is why, you mustn't give up!”''

These were not spoken by words. They were spoken through the Astral Flow that connects the dragon and its breeder.

She felt warmth from the bottom of her heart.

Eco knew from where this warmth came from.

Druing her time as an Orphan, Eco had always been inside Ash.

She could never forget about this warmth.

Even when he was going against the odds, Ash never ran away from anything.

He even dare face such a monster.

For how many times had he stood on the dragon’s head and for how many times had he been thrown off. Right now, his clothes were like rags and there were many obvious bruises and wounds on his body.

Even so, his eyes never stop glittering.

“He…”

Eco clenched her fists.

''-Unforgivable!''

That’s it. Ash was fighting for her sake and her pride doesn't allow her to stay still while waiting to be saved.

“That’s right… It is totally unforgivable… That is why…!”

Her tired body was once again filled with magic.

Her overflowing amounts of magic crystallized outside of her body and were sparkling.

“This is…”

Eco never once expect herself to have such a large amount of magic.

Her field of vision widened.

“I can see it!”

Eco could not keep herself from smiling.

''“Almete, Gorjal, Peto… Espaldar……”''

Even thought the amount of blueprints in the Dragweiss is abnormally large, the Eco right now had the ability to handle all of them.

''“Brafoneras, Faldaje… Escarcelas……”''

In among the parts that suits Ash, Eco selects the ones with light element and combined them.

''“Bufetas, Hombreras, Brazales… Codales….., Antebrazos……. Manoplas……….”''

Compare to those who create the Ark from scraps, Eco’s actions may seem detestable.

Eco could never be able to object for shaming the tradition and placing a curse on her ancestral.

''“Quijotes… Guardas… Grebas…… Escarpes……….”''

However to Eco, it would be a worst sin to just be a bystander and witness all the fun.

Eco no longer hesitates.

With mixed emotions, she had chosen the final part.

''“-Espolón!”''

At that instant, Eco had opened the gate that leads to a brand new world.

===Part 21===
No matter how badly he failed, he had lost count of the number of times he returned. Right now, he was lying on Lancelot’s back in anguish.

The pain was so immersed that he could no longer feel his limbs.

“Lancelot is really at its limit. This will be the last chance we have...”

Silvia’s voice was obviously shaking. They really must succeed. The moment Lancelot used up all its magic and can no longer fly, everything that was done will be in vain.

Ansarivan will be in ruins and Eco will definitely die.

It will be impossible to save all the refuges unharmed.

“Tsk… What should I do…!”

Just when Ash was in a pinch…

''“You are the one who shouldn’t give up!”''

Eco’s voice was heard in his mind.

“Eco? Eco! You are still alive!”

It had been sometime since she was swallowed by the dragon but Ash could clearly hear her voice.

''“Isn’t that obvious! No matter what I do, I can never look for a substitute for my useless pet dog, so just take this as a gift.”''

“Huh? Take what?”

The next instant, Ash was surrounded by dazzling lights.

“This is…!”

His eyes’ widened.

An outline slowly appeared in the light and transformed into a brilliant armour.

“I-Isn’t that an… Ark! It is godly…!”

Silvia squeaked when she turned around.

It had a strange feeling.

It was a heavy looking armour but it doesn’t feel that way.

Perhaps it was the strong amount of magic that removed the weight.

Even though he just wore it, he could feel an overflowing amount of magic.

“With this… I can never lose.”

Ash smiled confidently and spoke facing Eco who was inside the dragon’s belly.

“Thank you Eco! I had received your feelings!”

Unfortunately, Eco replied with a scold.

''“D-Don’t joke with me! That is just a mimic! Not an original! I have never thought of presenting you with it at all!”''

Eco was certainly full of objections.

Ash smiled bitterly.

“Let’s go, Princess- sama!”

“Understood!”

Ash who had been equipped with the Ark was full of spirits.

Silvia didn’t waste a single moment and ordered Lancelot to dive down.

Although it had used up most of its magic, it still answered Ash and Silvia’s call by raising its speed.

“Princess-sama!”

Ash was speaking to her from the back.

“… What is it?”

“Lancelot is a good dragon.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“That is why you should never again try to ride on another dragon.”

“A-Are you an idiot! What are you saying at a time like this…”

“This is the best time to tell you this. You had Lancelot who is the best Pal. So, what is the thing that you are craving for?”

“I-I… Definitely knew that!”

Lancelot made a great roar in reply to Silvia.

They are getting faster.

The huge grey body was getting closer.

“Now’s the time!”

Ash jumped.

He felt that his body had blend into the wind.

After drawing out a curve in the air, Ash landed on the dragon’s head.

Thanks to the Ark, Ash could even stand on the dragon without clinging to its fur.

He could even feel the dragon’s body heat through the armour.

Right at this moment, Ash was one with the dragon.

It can’t be wrong. The Ark had pushed Ash’s gift to its maximum potential.

“Alright!”

From his feet, his consciousness was growing into the dragon like roots.

If Ash was to be described as a tree, then the dragon is the earth.

At the same time, Ash could feel the dragon’s rejecting feeling in his mind.

Ash shouted.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are god or even the devil himself…”

Ash was like a tower in between the two horns.

“For what I know, every dragon will bound to be ridden by me!”

Suddenly, there was a change in the dragon’s body.

Its folded wings were suddenly flapping.

The dragon was flying towards the sky.

===Part 22===
“…Seems like we had stepped into an ambush…”

Milgauss sighed when he saw the Necromancia flying away from the town.

Milgauss was the person controlling the Necromancia.

The huge sword in his hands was not only the switch, it was also the controller.

However, Milgauss was never successful in making the Necromancia fly but that boy had it proved to him.

Even so, Milgauss was dead calm. It was just as expected.

Anya was sweating when she looked at Milgauss.

It was a cold sweat.

The boy who was riding the Necromancia away from the city is THAT BOY.

Anya had never reported to Milgauss about their meeting in the streets. She didn’t expect the boy to appear right there.

“Where exactly did I meet that boy before…?”

Anya was trembling from that single sentence.

“Well, whatever.”

Luckily, MIlgauss never question any further.

“The experiment ended with a failure, but we still obtain some useful results. That boy and also… that girl.”

“Girl?”

Anya was confused. Did he mean Rebecca Randall the Ark Dragner?

Or is it Princess Silvia who was flying on Lancelot?

However she was wrong.

“Didn’t the Necromancia capture a girl? The one with horns. She is probably the one who presented the boy with the Ark. Even though she looks human… She might be descendant of a dragon.”

“I never…!”

Milgauss had no intention of speaking anymore. He silently kept the huge sword and gazed at Anya through the mask.

“We will retreat for now.”

Anya knelt down immediately.

“…Understood!”

===Part 23===
“I did it…!”

The grey dragon spread it wings and flew up towards the sky with Ash.

It was getting higher and higher and further away from the town.

Right now, Ansarivan town, the plains beside and Fianna Forest looked like toys.

This was all according to his plan. First he had to bring this dangerous dragon away to ensure to safety of the townspeople.

Ash could understand the dragon’s thought through the Ark.

The muzzy thoughts suddenly turned clear. If felt as if the Ark had translated the dragon’s feeling into words that Ash understands.

There was anger.

Sadness.

Hatred too.

And also- Love.

“I see. You also had a master in the past.”

Ash didn’t know where this dragon came from.

He only knew that this was just a normal dragon that grew up in Ansarivan.

At the same time, it told Ash its wish through the Ark.

Ash understood the sad wish.

“…Necromancia? Something that disobey the logic of this world? Do you really want that?”

It once again assured Ash.

It trusted as like it did to its master.

“Are you really sure that you want that?”

The Necromancia was asking for Ash to kill it.

That is the only way out.

“But… what about Eco after I killed you?”

Ash was worried about killing the Necromancia because Eco was still inside the Necromancia.

After knowing what Ash thinking was, the dragon reassured him.

“Ermm… Can I really trust you?”

The Necromancia nodded its head.

It promised to protect Eco.

“…Alright. Leave everything to me.”

The moment he had made up his mind, an image of a sword appeared in his mind.

Although the Ark was created hastily, Ash still had obtained the same power as an Ark Dragner.

Similar to Rebecca’s Gáe Bolg, every Ark Dragner must possess an Ark weapon.

The Ark was glowing and an immense amount of magic flowed out.

The details of the Ark Weapon were circulating inside Ash.

It was a sword. A sword with light as its element.

Following the information, Ash chanted the spell words.

''“Appear! The sword that was graced by the light! Please lend me all your powers that are able to repel darkness…”''

The area on Ash’s forehead was flooding with light.

A tremendous amount of magic was flowing.

A huge sword that was taller than Ash appeared.

''“Aix-les-Bains!”''

After lifting Aix-les-Bains easily, Ash jumped.

“Uuoooooo!”

Ash was falling. Starting from the dragon’s head to its belly, the sword that wields light slashed through.

The dragon split into two.

The sword transformed into silvery lights and cut through its bones and flesh.

The tough body of the dragon burst into parts like a paper.

Then-

The destroyed body turned into grey particles and was blown away by the winds.

“Kyaa!”

At the same time, Eco was thrown up into the sky.

She was probably thrown up by the dragon before the attack.

“Eco!”

Ash was diving at Eco’s direction.

He was also accelerating using the magic of the Ark.

There was not even a hint of fear.

Ash stretched out his arms.

Eco stretched out hers too.

Both of them were close, but yet so far away.

The pressure from the strong wind seemed to be able to cut through skin but Ash still shouted:

“Eco!”

He made a kick in the air by releasing the magic in the Ark.

Eco once again stretched out her arms further after being called.

“Ash…!”

This was the first time Eco call his name.

The fingers met.

Then they felt the weight on their palms.

Now they were grabbing each other’s hand.

Not wanting Eco to leave his side again, Ash made a pull.

Eco was embracing his chest.

While hugging the delicate body, Ash could feel her body heat. He had decided to land on the plains below.

With the protection from the Ark, they remain unharmed even after falling from a few hundreds of meters from above.

The dark cloud in Ansarivan had disappeared.

At the horizon, the sun appeared once again.

“We did it!”

Just when he smiled, the Ark broke into light particles and disappeared. Similarly, Aix-les-Bains which was in his belt had also disappeared.

Just as Eco had said, this was just hastily made.

However, it did actually manage to save Eco.

“Thank you, Eco.”

“I-Its nothing!”

Just as expected, Eco turned to a side. She really hasn’t changed at all.

Just when he started smiling, his smile turned into horror.

“Hey… What’s with your fist?”

Her fist was bleeding.

Surely it was hurt when she was caught by the Necromancia.

“T-This is nothing.”

“What are you even talking about.”

Ash held her hand and licked her wound. It was a usual practice in Ash’s hometown when children hurt themselves.

It may be obvious to Ash but-

“W-What are you doing!”

Eco was getting mad and started rampaging.

“Stop! It is just for disinfection, disinfection I say!”

Eco who turned embarrassed bit his neck.

“Stop! This is not a joke! I might even die…!”

Eco who was probably tired finally calmed down.

“Hey, Eco?”

Ash was getting uneasy but Eco was already fast asleep. He showed sign of relieved and smile bitterly.

“A boy who can ride any dragon?”

Some corrections should be made.

Or at least until he found a way to handle Eco.

''End of "Dark Gray Invasion ~A.S.B.1365.5~".''

<noinclude>==References and Translation Notes==
<references />

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User:Platypi4E4

2015-08-22T15:04:49Z

Platypi4E4: Created page with "I tend to edit whichever LN I am reading! As such, my edits (for now) are going to be pretty random. As an English-language 'patriot', I find it jarring when the language is..."