Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 2 Prologue

Status: Incomplete

Prologue

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

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

Sandwiched between the two major powers, a small country with a population of not more than five million, had a special academy.

Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

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

Prologue

Part 1

"Well, we would like to introduce the new members of the student council for you students."

Rebecca declared in a loud voice to all the students who gathered in the lecture hall.

The student council president, Rebecca Randall, with the prestige nickname "Scarlet Empress", looking like a marble statue, glorious and splendid, attracted the attention of all the students.

"First of all, the member of disciplinary affairs, Sylvia."

"Yes!"

After Sylvia solemnly answered, she took a step forward from the stage side curtain.

"Blue Ice Princess"

Like the impression given through the name, Sylvia's blue eyes are as cold as ice with bright blond hair that embellished her white beauty.

"I'm Sylvia Lautreamont and this is the first time I've joined the student council. Although I'm still young, inexperienced and there are many immaturity, but I swear I'll make every effort to maintain the discipline of Ansarivan Dragon Rider Academy. I hope that every student can 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 Sylvia had suddenly disappeared.

Sylvia gracefully took a bow and the audience burst into thunderous applause. Because of the enthusiastic applause, Sylvia herself couldn't help but feel confused.

Maybe because she felt very reluctant(?), Sylvia dashed toward to the side of the stage behind the curtains.

"Your speech was great."

Ash who became a student council member at the same time was standing by stage smiling cheekily towards the Sylvia who ran off the stage because of her shyness.

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

Perhaps that she is not accustomed to being praised, Sylvia blushed. Because of her embarrassment she 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 buisness. You're going up on the stage next. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

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

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

"Gosh(?)...I envy you, princess who does not have anything to do with the word 'tense'."

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

Ash, shocked by Sylvia's aggressive manner, coludn'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 brought to participate in many ceremonies, so I do not have stage fright ... However, it is also impossible not to feel nervous."

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

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

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

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

Sylvia embarrassingly turned her face to the side.

"Well, I'll introduce the next member who is the 'school's number one problem student', where he is now turning a new leaf. The member of general affairs, Ash Blake."

A noisy boiling atmosphere emerge in the hall right after Rebecca sentence.

"To put it another way, 'general affairs' means to help in 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 to the entire hall, a total of four hundred students from basic and advanced courses, densely filled the entire field of vision.

"Shit..."

Obviously, just before this moment, he could relax thanks to Sylvia'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, imprinted with the <Seikoku> pattern.

Any breeder must have an imprint trace, but Ash's <Seikoku> area is 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-covering <Seikoku> to avoid it from being striking.

This morning, he had been even more careful than usual while wrapping his bandage.

Even so, in the view of the audience, there is a feeling of uneasiness - fearing that his <Seikoku> will be seen by the audience through clothing and bandages.

"Hey ... you better stay strong."

At this time, Sylvia's soft sound could be heard whispering in his ears.

Ash pretend to turn his head around casually and found out that Sylvia is staring directly at him.

"...Princess?"

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

- To think the princess would actually cheer for me ...!

Even though it is small action, Ash suddenly felt a lot more easier.

He gazed back to the students.

"Uh ... I recruited by the student council Ash Blake. Frankly, 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 expressd his feelings, Ash give a deep bow.

While maintaining his posture, one second passed, two seconds later.

The hall is stone silent!

It is me, this infamous guy, no matter how much I express myself, could't I make myself acknowledged by others?... Just as he started to feel regret-

A loud clapping sound could be heard by Ash.

"Princess ...?"

That's right. Sylvia, standing on the stage side curtain, took the lead by starting to applaud.

Rebecca also immediately started clapping along.

Driven by both applauds, the sound of applause slowly spread from 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 is similar to the speech by Sylvia.

Part 2

The relieved Ash returned to the stage side curtain.

"Hmm ... pretty just so-so."

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

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

Ash's pal, Eco, has yet to show up, which made him worry.

The main character of this office ceremony is by no means for only Ash and Sylvia.

Some time ago during the celebration of the birth of young dragon Eco <Pal Party>, Rebecca kissed Ash, Sylvia, and Eco's cheek, in the name of the initiation ceremony.

Since she accepted Rebecca's kiss, Eco become as a part of the student council.

So, right after Sylvia 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 had been too late. Hopefully Cosette won't do some tricks... "

Sylvia frowned.

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

"I'll take care of her clothings." 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 certainly loses herself while dressing up Eco as a doll. I can't help but pity her."

"You make it as if you, too, had been a victim."

"Please, don't make me remember my past memories ..."

Sylvia looked very funny when she hugged her head.

Part 3

While Ash and Sylvia are chattering, Rebecca was giving a talk in order to buy some time.

"... That day, Sylvia 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 please do not take me as the Royal Princess of the Knight Country.'"

Rebecca vividly described to the students the actual scene of the 'Pal party'.

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

"President! That’s enough!"

Sylvia raised her fist in anger, cursing from the side curtain offstage.

Suddenly laughter enveloped from the school hall.

At this 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 to clear a path for her.

Followed after her steps, "Knock, knock" a chilled sound is echoed in the hall.

Cosette followed behind Eco. She was dressed in the usual maid attire and acted as Eco's retinue.

"Wh…what’s that?"

Ash stuck his head out from the stage side curtain, shocked.

Sylvia was also stunned.

Rebecca, from the side, looked proudly at Eco as she progressd towards the stage, and introduced:

"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!"

On the stage, Eco is looking around the whole school.

People can clearly feel the strong will of her bright, ruby-coloured eyes.

Her silvery pink hair was light and elegant.

The sides of her head has the symbol of the dragon tribe, which are her horns. But because Eco is still a young dragon, the shape of her horns do not look pointy but more like ‘circular stubs’.

She was dressed in a black luxury dress despite her petite body.

"Is that… Eco?"

Ash unconsciously murmured and muttered.

Eco's appearance is not only beautiful, her whole body emitted an elegant atmosphere. Even if one says that she is a princess, there is no reason someone would not believe it.

In fact, students seem to be subdued by Eiko’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, bediently nodded, "huff ..." she inhaled deeply.

Everyone without exception became breathless and focuses their attention on Eco's every move.

Eco posed her hands high in the air like to intimidate...

"Gaoo!”

She let out a roar in front of the students in front of the whole school.

To say she is roaring is not right; the correct context should 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 make her stunned.

Part 4

Apollo House is the student dormitory for male upperclassmen to live in.

Ash's personal room is located on the third floor.

Eco had settled here for about a month's time.

Although she is a dragon, a beautiful girl admitted to the male dormitory had set off a momentary uproar in the Apollo House. Since she had been living here for a month, many had already been 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 is just too different. A dragon will never roar with ‘Gaoo’, right?”

When the fact that Ash’s simmering smile is reveal, 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 it is the most effective way!"

"Okay ... I got it."

"What do you know?"

"Simply put, Cosette saw 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 about an eighty percent chance of you going up 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 laughingstock for humans!"

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

"So why are they laughing?"

"No, you're wrong. Everyone thinks that this is very interesting and feels friendliness in you. On the other hand, that dress suits you."

"Huh ...?"

Eiko'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 cannot help but smile. All of a sudden he got carried away, and reaches 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.

By looking closely you'll notice that she is 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 the floor.

Eco pulled up her skirt and lifted her foot high up in the air.

Despite the small and exquisite size, it contained the power which is 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 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 Sylvia's, but she had outgrown it."

"Why is it Cosette again...? ‘Crack’!"

Before Ash could finish his sentence, Eco trampled his back.

"Shut up! I want you crushed!"

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

The force is so strong, it is hard to imagine the one standing on his back is 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

Christmas calendar year 1265. Half a month had already passed by in the month of Taurus.

Due to the attack of the Necromancia, Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy is finally getting ready for a school reopening.

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