Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Prologue

Prologue

Lautreamont Knight Country - the 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 these two major powers a small country, with a population of no more than five million, had a special academy - Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy which educated and guided teenage boys and girls, who formed a contract with dragons, -- an academy for Dragon Breeders.

Part 1

"Well… We would like to introduce the new members of the Student Council to all of you students."

Rebecca declared in a loud voice to all the students gathered in the lecture hall. The Student Council president, Rebecca Randall, with the prestigious nickname "Scarlet Empress", looking like a marble statue, glorious and splendid, attracted the attention of all students.

"First of all, in charge of Disciplinary Affairs, Silvia."

"Yes!"

After Silvia solemnly answered she took a step forward from the stage's side curtain.

"Blue Ice Princess",

Just like the impression given through that name, Silvia's blue eyes were as cold as ice with bright blond hair that embellished her white beauty.

"I am Silvia Lautreamont and this is the first time I have joined the Student Council. Although I'm still young, inexperienced and have much to learn, I swear I will make every effort to maintain the discipline of Ansarivan Dragon Rider Academy. I hope that every student will take care of me in the future."

Her modest way of speaking caused many whispers among the students. The overbearing aura of arrogance that previously surrounded Silvia had suddenly disappeared. She gracefully took a bow and the audience burst into thunderous applause, however, because of the enthusiastic applause, Silvia herself couldn't help but feel somewhat confused. Maybe it was because she felt embarrassed, she quickly dashed toward to the side of the stage behind the curtains.

"Your speech was great." said Ash.

Ash, who also became a Student Council member at the same time, was standing by the stage smiling cheekily towards Silvia, who just ran off the stage because of her shyness.

"What's so great about that..."

Perhaps because she wasn't accustomed to being praised, Silvia blushed in embarrassment and looked down at the ground. After a while her swollen face suddenly stiffened, and she snappily asked Ash:

"That's none of your concern! Why don't you mind your own business! You're going up on the stage next. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Th...That's..."

For the infamous Ash, who was the school's most problematic student, naturally, this would be his first time on stage in this situation. He would be lying if he said that he was not nervous.

"...I envy you, Princess. You don't have anything to do with the word 'tense'."

"Don't be silly. I also felt tense!"

Ash, shocked by Silvia's aggressive manner, couldn't help but shrink back.

"Ah, sorry. Because you didn't seem nervous, I couldn't help but ..."

"As the king's daughter, I was raised to be able to participate in many ceremonies, so I do not have stage fright, however, it's also impossible not to feel nervous."

"Is it? Then, I feel a little better."

After seeing Ash laughing out of the blue, Silvia looked surprised.

"So even Her Royal Highness can be nervous. Ah... then it is quite okay for ordinary people like me to feel nervous too. After knowing about this, I suddenly feel relieved. Thank you!"

"I-It's nothing, there's no need to thank me, for something so small."

Silvia embarrassingly turned her face to the side.

"Well, now, I'll introduce the next member. The school's 'Number One Problem Child', who is now turning a new leaf, in charge of General Affairs, Ash Blake."

A noisy boiling atmosphere emerged in the hall right after Rebecca's sentence.

"To put it another way, 'General Affairs' means to help with anything. So no matter what difficulties we run into feel free to discuss it with Ash."

Seeing the increasingly boiling atmosphere Ash could not help but feel distressed.

Looking from the center of the stage out into the entire hall, a total of four hundred students, from basic to advanced courses filled his entire field of vision.

"Shit..."

Obviously, just before this moment, he could relax thanks to Silvia's help, but after he stood on stage, the feeling of nervousness emerged without his knowledge.

"..."

Ash suddenly worried about the bandage covering his left arm. On Ash's left arm, the 'Seikoku' pattern was imprinted. Any Breeder must have an imprint trace, but Ash's 'Seikoku' area was extremely large, in which it covered almost all of his left arm. Because of this, Ash's everyday life had always been with a bandage-covered 'Seikoku' to avoid it from being seen. This morning, he had been even more careful than usual while wrapping his bandage. Even so, in the view of the audience, there was a feeling of uneasiness - fearing that his 'Seikoku' will be seen by the audience through the clothing and bandages.

"Hey... You better stay strong."

At that moment, Silvia's soft voice could be heard whispering in his ears. Ash pretended to turn his head around casually and found out that Silvia is staring directly at him.

"...Princess?"

Silvia, who held her fist towards her chest, forcefully nodded.

- To think Princess would actually cheer for me ...!

Even though it was a small action, Ash suddenly felt a lot more at ease. He turned his gaze back to the students.

"Uh ... I have just become a member of the Student Council. My name is Ash Blake. To be honest, I don't know what to do...... Wha... Whatever it is, I will do my job with all my might, so please take care of me!"

After he truthfully expressed his feelings… Ash gave a deep bow. While maintaining his posture, one second passed, two seconds later. The hall remained stone silent!

--Is it me, this infamous guy, no matter how much I express myself, I couldn't make myself be acknowledged by others?...

Just as he started to regret-

A loud clapping sound could be heard by Ash.

"Princess ...?"

That's right. Silvia, standing on the stage side curtain, took the lead by starting to applaud. Rebecca also started clapping along. Driven by the two… The sound of applause slowly spread to every corner of the venue. Ash looked around the hall. His best friends, Raymond and Max, were smiling at him while clapping and cheering.

"Everyone!"

In a blink of an eye… The enthusiastic applause grew similar to that from Silvia's speech.

Part 2

The relieved Ash returned to the stage's side curtain.

"Hmm... Pretty much so-so."

In just a moment, Silvia immediately resumed her usually chilly attitude. However, Ash decided to take it as a praise.

"It's all thanks to you, Princess... Is Eco not present yet?"

Ash's pal, Eco, had yet to show up, which made him worry. The main character of this office ceremony was by no means only for Ash and Silvia. Some time ago, during the celebration of the birth of young dragon Eco, the 'Pal Party', Rebecca kissed Ash, Silvia, and Eco's cheek, in the name of the initiation ceremony. Since she accepted Rebecca's kiss… Eco became a member of the Student Council. So right after Silvia and Ash had their speech, it should be Eco who should be getting ready by the stage side curtain... However, She had disappeared without a trace.

"Indeed, She was too late. Hopefully Cosette will not perform any tricks... "

Silvia frowned. Cosette was dispatched, to Ansarivan from the palace, to serve as Silvia's maid. While Ash was busy he asked her to help take care of Eco.

"I'll take care of her clothing." After she learned that Eco will be going on stage, Cosette excitedly volunteered.

But that was two hours ago.

"Does picking clothes have to take so much time?"

"Cosette will certainly lose herself while dressing up Eco as a doll. I can't help but pity her."

"You say it as if you have been a victim."

"Please don't make me remember it..."

Silvia looked very funny when she plunged her head under her arms.

Part 3

While Ash and Silvia are chattering… Rebecca was giving a speech in order to buy some time.

"... That day, Silvia with soulful eyes said to me, 'I will certainly do my best. Also… Please call me by my name, at least in the Student Council, and do not take me as the Royal Princess of the Knight Country.'"

Rebecca vividly described to the students the actual scenes of the 'Pal Party'.

"... At that time, I felt as if someone had confessed to me. By the way, my fellow students, even though Silvia looks like an old fogey, in fact she has one or two men to her liking-"

"President! That’s enough!"

Silvia raised her fist in anger, cursing from the side curtain offstage. Suddenly laughter enveloped the school hall. At that moment…

-Bang!

The hall main door was slammed open by someone. Everyone turned their head back to look behind the door. The excited Rebecca proudly announced:

"Dear students, our third new member, Eco, has finally appeared!"

Eco walked majestically and the students separated into two parts to clear a path for her. Following her steps, "Knock, knock" a chilled sound echoed in the hall. Cosette followed behind Eco, dressed in her usual maid attire and was acting as Eco's retinue.

"Wh-what’s that?"

Ash stuck his head out from the stage side curtain, shocked. Silvia was also stunned. Rebecca, from the side, looked proudly at Eco as she progressed towards the stage, began her introduction:

"As all of you had heard, Eco, Ash's partner, was born last month. I do not know why, but she has the appearance of a human even though she’s a Dragon, so we can communicate with her. Therefore, we decided to let Eco become the mascot of the Student Council and sincerely welcome her to join it!"

The audience clearly felt the strong will behind her bright, ruby-coloured, eyes as Eco gazed around the whole school from the stage. Her silvery-pink hair was light and elegant. On the sides of her head are the symbol of the dragon tribe… Which are her horns. But because Eco was still a young dragon the shape of her horns didn't look pointy but more like ‘circular stubs’. She was dressed in a luxurious black dress despite her petite body.

"Is that… Eco?"

Ash unconsciously murmured and muttered. Eco's appearance was not only beautiful but her whole body radiated with an elegant atmosphere. Even if anyone said that she is a princess there was no reason not to believe it. In fact the students seemed to be subdued by Eco's beauty.

"Just say hello to everyone Eco! Just do exactly as I taught you to do and there won’t be any problems."

The words Cosette whispered to Eco were overheard by Ash.

"Ar… Are you sure?"

Eco asked innocently.

"Of course. I, Cosette, promise you that this will be a great opportunity to immediately win everyone's hearts."

Cosette smiled. Ash, confused by her words, felt a bad omen.

"Alright."

Eco, not bothered by Ash’s worries, obediently nodded, "huff ..." she inhaled deeply. Everyone, without exception, became breathless and focused their attention on Eco's every move. Eco posed with her hands high in the air, as if to intimidate...

"Gaoo!”

She let out a roar in front of the students... in front of the whole school. To say she was roaring isn't right; The correct context might be more like reading directly from a script. There was a brief moment of silence, and the hall was soon filled with laughter.

"Wh... Why is everyone laughing?"

The students’ response stunned her.

Part 4

Apollo House was the student dormitory where the male upperclassmen lived. Ash's personal room was located on the third floor and Eco had settled here for about a month. Although she was a dragon… A beautiful girl admitted to the male dormitory had set off a momentary uproar in the Apollo House. However, since she had been already living there a month, many had become accustomed to it.

Just right after she stepped into the room… Eco angrily stomped around.

"This is too outrageous! They actually dare to make fun of such a noble Dragon... This is a sin that cannot be forgiven! This is why I hate those stupid and ignorant humans!"

"You can't blame them... Your greeting was just too different. A dragon will never roar with "Gaoo". Right?”

When the fact of Ash’s simmering smile was revealed Eco glared angrily at him.

"It's all Cosette's fault! She lied to me! She told me that a dragon must capture the hearts of everyone and that would be the most effective way!"

"Okay... I got it."

"What do you know?"

"Simply put. Cosette saw that you usually act high and mighty so she kindly helped you think out this plan. If it weren't for her advice... I‘m pretty sure that there would be about an eighty percent chance of you going up to the stage with your proud attitude and shout "You bunch of stupid and ignorant humans…!" That sort of nonsense."

"Well..."

With Ash's deduction seeming entirely correct… Eco suddenly became speechless.

"So in order to avoid those awkward scenes. Cosette helped you in her own way. And the result is?"

"The result is that I just become the laughing stock for humans!"

"No, you're wrong, everyone doesn't take you as a joke to laugh at."

"So why were they laughing?"

"No, you're still, wrong. Everyone thinks that it was very interesting and feels friendly towards you. On the other hand… That dress suits you."

"Huh ...?"

Eco's cheeks quickly turned red as if there was a wild fire burning.

"Are… Are you alright?"

"No. It's nothing!"

Eco angrily shook her face to the side but Ash could not help but smile. All of a sudden he got carried away and reached out to pat Eco's head.

"Are you shy? Haha. It seems that you too, have a cute side."

Her soft hair felt really comfortable and Ash became addicted and couldn't stop himself.

"You......"

While facing one's own intoxicated and heavenly atmosphere… Eco's eyes suddenly burst out with a dangerous flare. Looking closely you'll notice that she was frequently shaking her little fist.

"It appears that... You still don’t know your place."

"Hey, calm down, Eco......"

"I warned you. Didn't I? Instead of you keeping me as a pet-"

Eco took a murderous step forward.

"I'm your owner! Now quickly kneel on the ground!"

"Uwa!"

In the instant he collided with Eco… He suddenly felt dizzy. In the blink of an eye Ash is facing down on the floor. Eco pulled up her skirt and lifted her foot high up in the air. Despite it's small and exquisite size that small foot contained a power which was undoubtedly no different from a dragon. Ash’s spine suddenly felt a chill.

"Wait a minute! By the way. Are you hungry?"

"Don’t you worry. Before the ceremony, Cosette had given me something to eat."

The strategy, with the food temptations, was ineffective.

"Since you’re full... Then you have to hurry and return the dress! Wearing such a dress while acting wild will crumple the clothes!”

"You don't need to worry so much. Besides this dress is mine."

"No way! You can't take someone else’s things and claim them as your own!"

"Cosette presented it to me. I heard that this dress was originally Silvia's but she had outgrown it."

"Why is it Cosette again...? Before Ash could finish his sentence… Eco stepped on his back.

'Crack'!"

"Shut up! I want you crushed!"

"You already crushed it... A while ago."

The force was so strong it's hard to imagine the one standing on his back was just the girl's tiny feet.

An uncomfortable amount of sweat flowed out from his forehead to the neck area.

"What did you just say?"

"Huff!"

Eco started to turn and twist her feet to draw a circle on Ash’s back.

Ash clearly heard the screams of his spine.

"My spine! My spine! Ah! Ah! Ah......!"

"How is it? Now do you know where your place is?"

While he is gradually losing consciousness, Ash thought he saw an illusion of a sea of flowers.

Part 5

In the year of the Saint, 1365, half a month has already passed by in the month of Taurus.

After the Necromancia attack… Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy was finally getting ready for the school's reopening.

"Initiation ~A.S.B.1365.5~" is closed.

References and Translation Notes

Back to Illustrations

Return to Main Page

Forward to Chapter 1