Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 3 Chapter 4

Status: Incomplete

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Chapter 4 - The Battle at Willingham Mausoleum

Part 1

During the midnight, Ash slowly sat up.

“It hurtssss…”

Because of the pain in his joins, he can’t have a good sleep. It is because that he was playing in the waters during the day.

Silvia and Eco were riding on Lancelot.

Jessica was riding on Rhiannon.

Without any warning, a normal fun on the waters had turned into a two side’s 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 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 when she speak…

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 chooses a bikini that exposes that much of skin, but Cosette who was the culprit who force 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 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. Once Eco is not beside him, he felt 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 at the corridor of the second floor. The old building felt like a haunted house. The kitchen was located at the first floor, so he was walking towards the stairs.

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

“…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… Lukka?”

Under the moonlight, the golden white here is emitting a mysterious light. Even her white ceramic liked skin was a if they were shining. Her pointy ears can be seen indistinctly poking out from her hair.

Lukka walked past the garden with her unsteady steps and through the old back door. After the back door is an endless piece of forest- Norg Forrest.

In a blink of an eye, Lukka disappear inside the forest.

“Hey… What was 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 following the stone slabs. After he was mentally prepared, he walked to the forest.

But, just as he step into the Norg Forrest, he immediately took a step 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 went to the forest at night. Even the wet ground had a different smell. The nocturnal animals and bug creeps the hell out of him. The lushly branches of the trees had the sky covered which also blocked the moonlight from piercing in. Also, there were sounds that was suspected to be the sounds of an owl.

Could it be that Lukka 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 Eckbald in the Knight Country is a wide forest called ‘Eckbald forest’. Maybe to Lukka, every forest is like the garden back at her home.

After Ash mustered his courage, he moved forward while trying to feel around 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 jumped.

“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 in the empty space, and the water was reflecting the moonlight.

Gawain cuddled itself while lying beside the pond.

Its shining white fur was reflecting the moonlight.

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

Ash found out that Lukka’s shoulders were shaking.

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

Lukka was calling after Gawain in a pitiful tone. Ash hid behind a tree a listen to her.

“The only Eckbald left in Ansarivan… is only me. The people in our home town have 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 a 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 Lukka. Lukka 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 which is most probably caused by Gawain’s growl. In the silent night, the only sound that could be heard was Lukka who was crying.

-Crack!

Ash stepped on a dried branch. Damn- he regretted just as he found out about this. The sound was tremendously clear in the middle of the night.

“…?”

Lukka while wiping of her tears, turned back and looked at Ash’s direction. It seems that there is no longer a point for him to be hiding. After Ash made up his mind, he walked towards Lukka.

“You are… From the student council?”

It seems that she didn’t remember Ash’s name. But since she also didn’t remember Silvia’s name, so 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 Lukka just now. That was a total rejection.

Lukka 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 Lukka sobbing remains in Ash's mind…

In a few moments, it had turned into determination.

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

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

Lukka 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 the Allonnes Lakeside representing the student restaurant ‘La Tene’. The work to prepare the food was more troublesome than she thought. It was already midnight when her job was done.

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

Anya was interested in Ash who sneaked 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 compare to the wide area of the school grounds.

For Ash to act in 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 was not feeling well.

Anya couldn’t figure out the 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 reasons for the basic staffs to know about it.

Ash was protecting a girl at his back. To her surprise, she was an Eckbald. Her name should be Lukka 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 Lukka’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 get mad for.

Part 3

The sharp claws tore the moonlight mercilessly.

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

“Stop…!”

Lukka 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 thick branch, he looked downwards.

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. When he had decided to ride 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. Ash was riding on Gawain’s naked back like how as horse riding tribe riding on a horse without a saddle. His hands were holding on tightly on its neck. He swore not to let go of it even when Gawain tried to shake he off with its might.

“Grrrr…”

The swing that Ash experience nearly made him faint. He kept on telling himself never to let go.

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

But suddenly, Gawain gave an earth shattering roar.

“What’s happening…?”

Ash felt fear. But, unless Ash let loose of 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 and claws.

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

Even when Ash had a total advantage of attacking from the back, but he felt uneasy deep inside as if- He was the one whose back was exposed to a shinigami.

At that moment, there was a wave of magic that feels that 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.

Gawain’s tail, like a whip, swung at Ash. Ash who was at midair had nowhere to run to.

“*Cough*…!”

It was a direct hit on Ash.

An unimaginable strong impact swept pass from his chest to his abdomen and he flew parallel with the ground. It was until he hit a tree, only then he fall to the ground slowly.

“*Coug*…*Cough*…!”

Ash coughed and he even coughed out blood. He probably had internal injuries. He was making some weird noise from his throat, which was probably caused by a broken bone that punctured his lungs.

To make it worst, the blood from his head flowed in to his left eye and blinded 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 his most is 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 had lost hope.

Eco 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 smile to me more, 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.

There was a thin layer of magic on its body. Ash had only found out that the thin layer of magic was the culprit that sent him flying.

“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 take Ash presence as an ‘attack’. Could this had anything to do with his ability ‘to ride on any dragons’?

“Just what kind of rascal is it…”

Under those conditions, Gawain could even use its defense magic to eliminate Ash. If it was another dragon, Ash will be on their back and have them tamed.

He already reached his limit.

Just before his loses consciousness, he felt that he heard Lukka 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 think 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 moonlights could only be described with 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, Lukka made a sad voice.

“Nooooo!”

Lukka who was pale in the face rushed to Ash. But Ash injuries were pretty much lethal and she panicked and didn’t even 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 is 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 life could not be guaranteed if it was left in the hand of the unreliable girl.

If she was to be unlucky, there will be questions about why would a staff in charge of the foods was at 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 Lukka aside.

Because she saw Lukka who was in a trauma tried to carry Ash’s upper body. She didn’t know that simply moving the body of an injured person will put their life in danger.

“What were you doing! I’ll take care of the emergency treatment, go and look for help!”

“Y-Yes.”

Even though Lukka 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 black and white tiles that were made laid like a checker’s board. There were many semi-completed objects hanging randomly on the walls. Human’s body, beasts, armours, building and many more. On the ceiling was a grand palace-liked Chandelier which was a bright dragon crystal light.

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

“I remember that…”

I lost to Gawain and was seriously injured. Even though he still remembered the incident, there were just only fragments of memories. Even when he was seriously injured, he still didn’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 was sting next to him beside the bed without him 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 when 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 unease.

“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 is funny.

“This is just the Dragon Workshop! The place where dragons did 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, is nothing but a spirit.”

“Is that true…”

Ash lowered down his head and look at his own body.

“That’s right. Your spirit had 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 her shoulder. Even though it had the size of a rat, it is still a dragon after taking a closer look.

“That dragon is?”

“It is Gawain. Although it is a maestro, it is still not yet mentally matured. Its looks is like this in 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 indeed has some similarity 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’s say that I was nearly killed by you.”

After Ash asked, Gawain made a soft sound while standing 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 was Lukka and Lukka alone. The reason why it reject you was because it doesn’t want anyone apart from Lukka 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 Lukka this whole time…”

“Kyuun!”

After Gawain made the angry sound, it told its reason for rejecting Lukka to Navi.

“…I see. Gawain was worried about Lukka and thus rejected her. According to Gawain, Lukka 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 Lukka.

“The Eckbald are highly self regarded race, they think that falling from the dragon was a disgrace. That’s why Lukka had never told anyone about this.”

Although Ash doesn’t really know how she was felling, if it is an Eckbald culture, then he could only accept it.

“Then, under what circumstances was she falling from?”

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

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

“Just like what the words said, it was dancing on the dragon while riding. Although Lukka kept silent about this, she was destined to become the leader. So she must start to practice young. No 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 the Dragon Riding Dance’s practice… She fell?’

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

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

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

Ash unintentionally said some important thing.

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

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

“If she tried to ride a dragon with those feelings, she will face serious injuries one day. If a Dragner was afraid of his pal, his future will be terrible and at worst he will die. It is because of Gawain was worried about Lukka, so it remained stern to not letting Lukka 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 kept on, Gawain will die soon. Even when the Norg Forest supplied some Astral… but it is still hard to say that 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 Lukka?”

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 legs were slowly lifted 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, but it was different from what you were thinking. Your healing body was summoning your spirit. 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 were two surfaces on a coin. If you ride on her, it meant that you are also riding on me.”

“What does that mean-?”

Ash was not allowed to further ask any more 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 lips were also suvked in by Navi. Both of their saliva had mixed together. When their moths were wet, Navi forces her tongue into Ash’s mouth.

“....Nn!”

Their slippery tongues were curled together.

...Until he was separated from Navi, Ash thought 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.”

“W-What are you talking about!”

“Fufu, let’s us meet at another day.”

At the same time when 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 the medicine 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 he 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 cover it back with the blanket, but the image he saw had been deeply carved into his mind.

“Why…is Lukka here?”

Ash was sweating a huge amount of sweat.

That’s right, the thing under the blanket was no other that Lukka.

And, she was naked.

Because she slept in a way like a baby cuddling up, that’s why at least her important parts were not 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, but there isn’t a single piece of cloth left.

It is probably that the cloths will interfere with his treatment. So the reason why he was naked can still be explained. But, why would Lukka 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.

The surrounding of the bed was placed with 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 being dawned on. His chest suddenly hurts.

“It hurts!’

Even when they have the 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, his will be treated as a patient of some time.

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

“Nn...”

Her pointy ears tingled.

“Fuuwa!”

After a few moments, Lukka with a sleepy face slowly sat up. She generously showed her flat chest to Ash and daze at him with her sleepy eyes… Until the moment when she vision was focused, she suddenly hugged Ash.

“Luckily… you were all right…!”

“Uwaaa!”

Ash was thrown into panicked after being hugged by a lovely Yōsei girl. To make it worse, they were on the bed… Naked.

“It huuuurts!”

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

“S-Sorry...”

She let go of Ash gloomily.

“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?”

Ash averted his eyes away from the white tender naked body and simply came out with a question.

“…”

Lukka picked up her one-piece pajama from the floor. Ash made use of this time to cover his own naked body with the blanket.

Lukka who had put on her pajama was sitting on a chair beside the bed and only then she answered Ash question.

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

“I-Is it so. Thank you very much.”

After thanking, 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?”

Lukka was surprised.

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

“Huh…?”

Ash tried to explain to Lukka who was stunned.

Part 7

After Ash told her the truth, Lukka was in tears.

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

When he saw Lukka’s shaking shoulders when she was crying, Ash found out about something.

He had thought her as a girl without emotions. But that is not the truth, she is just only someone who can’t express her emotions well. For she to be 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, Lukka also cried. Ash choose to challenge Gawain was also because of sympathizing her-

“That’s right. Gawain didn’t allow you to ride on its back because it was worry 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 out your courage!”

Although he knew that this is a little cruel to her, he still shouted 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, Lukka’s was shaken.

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

After Ash had asked, Lukka answered by mumbling with her face looking pale.

“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 last for seven days, in reality, there is nothing wrong about taking the sixth day as the last. Because the seven day 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 and the closing ceremony would be held in the evening.

In another words, the Selective Training Camp is as good as ended.

But Ash didn’t think that he had wasted his time here. The truth won’t be revealed if he had not challenged Gawain.

The thing is, they must make sure of Gawain’s safety. If Navi prediction was correct, Gawain will die any moment.

“Lukka! Look for Gawain immediately!”

“But… I can’t leave you.”

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

“…Understood.”

Lukka rubbed off her tears and lifted her head.

Her gaze which was full of determination moved his heart.

After Ash had nodded to her, Lukka 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 when she rushed to the bed side.

It was probably that Ash was thinking too much that he just thought that Eco looked tired. Just maybe that she didn’t slept well. Her red swollen eyes that will give you a heartbreak, is most probably because she cried a lot after the incident. Ash thought that he was going to have a heartbreak.

-Am I not able to escape from a punch or two from her…

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

“Baka, baka, baka! I thought that… T thought that you are going to die! What were you doing? You are owned by me, do you know that…!”

Eco hid her face in the blanket and started sobbing.

“Sorry, Eco.”

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

Thinking back carefully, the morning alarm had not yet rang. But Eco who usually was a lie in had rushed here early in the morning.

Although she refused to admit it, she is still eventually my pal… Ash was happy in the depth 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 member leaded 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 bed room on my own.”

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

“…”

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

“…What are you doing?”

Upon asking, Jessica glared at him sharply.

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

“No… It is not like that!”

Ash became nervous, since it was the truth that Lukka was sleeping with him which made him harder to give his explanation.

“What do you say!”

Eco was the first to reach 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 is 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 wanted to escape from the window, he was now stark naked. Once he climbed out from the window, his naked body will be seen. He was now in the situation where he couldn’t do what he wanted to.

“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?”

Judging from what she had said, Lukka seems to enter the infirmary without permission.

“Ash, you rascal… There are so many to choose from and yet you choose a young junior… And lure her to your bed…? Yet, why do you not think about your health condition… and how my we worry about you…”

Silvia’s body was trembling.

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

Too bad for him, Silvia don’t have the intention to listen.

“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.

“H-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 will never agree to go to the Selective Training Camp full of the smell of sweat.

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 the dragon’s fossil. 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 also turn pale.

“Could it be…”

Angela had inspect the map for one more time. This was a total different place compare to the intended place. 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.

“Since I had been in love with the dragons for a long time, it is not a bad idea to be buried with them- Like hell I would!”

Angela while commenting on 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 was resting 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, the wall behind Angela moved with making a ‘Ssssssss’ sound.

“T-This is?

Angela immediately turned her head around. The place where I should had originally been rocks has a rectangular hole right now. 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 were not clear, but what she can be sure of is the she accidentally triggered the trigger. But under the eyes of a commoner, this will just be like a normal natural cave…

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

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

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

References and Translation Notes

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