Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi: Volume 10

Novel Illustrations

These are novel illustrations that were included in volume 10.

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  Cover

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  Page 3

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  Page 4-5

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  Page 6-7

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  Page 8-9

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  Page 10

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  Page 23

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  Page 27

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  Page 40

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  Page 53

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  Page 71

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  Page 157

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  Page 253

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  Page 261

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  Page 262-263

Prologue

The continent of Ark Strada.

Looking down towards it from the sky;

It was shaped like a dragon spreading its wings;

On it were five forces that were kept in balance.

I The dragon’s wing ~ Holy Espada Agency.

II The dragon’s body ~ Chevron Kingdom.

III The dragon’s jaw ~ Zepharos Empire.

IV The dragon’s tail ~ Labrock Trade Union.

Also,

V The dragon’s heart ~ Lautreamont Knight Country

Part 1

“You’re so slow, Lucca!”

Jumping from one branch to another branch — a young girl of the Ecbald Tribe moved with skill and agility, whilst also turning to look behind her.

“Kiira, you’re going too fast…”

Lucca replied, struggling to keep up far behind her. Although Lucca’s voice was so distant that it was as faint as the buzz of a mosquito, Kiira had particularly sensitive ears…. The crowing of wild birds, the chirping on insects, and the footsteps of small animals — even amidst the forest that was filled with an euphony of such noises, Kiira was still able to clearly distinguish Lucca’s voice.

“I guess it can’t be helped…”

Kiira used the elastic recoil of a supple branch to leap forward. The whistling of the wind entered her sharp, elf-like ears. Her native Ecbald outfit also fluttered gently with the wind. The sunlight which meandered through the foliage was soft and dimmed. The leaves all around them had begun to turn red. The scent of the moist earth could be detected in their nostrils. It was as if the entirety of their beings were submerged in the forest.

—Zoop!

In the blink of an eye, Kiira had returned to Lucca’s side. She stood calmly on a small branch with her hands on her hips.

“Are you okay? If you don’t display your true strength, you won’t gain the favour of the Mother Dragon, you know?”

“Uh…”

“You’re hopeless.”

Tears welled up in Lucca’s amethyst eyes as she firmly grasped hold of Kiira’s outstretched hand. Such a scene had been repeated countless times in the forest of their hometown. The warmth that she felt when holding hands with Lucca was undeniably dear to her—.

“Alright, let’s take a short break here then.”

Kiira took pause to allow Lucca some rest out of pity. After sitting down on a branch, she beckoned for Lucca to sit down beside her.

“Phew.”

Uttering that with a soft voice, Lucca carefully sat down. Every move she made was rather clumsy and inflexible, completely unlike what was normal for the Ecbald Tribe. However, Kiira believed this was also Lucca’s charm.

“Lucca. My adorable fairy…”

“I-If you look at me like that…I’ll feel embarrassed.”

Lucca’s cheeks turned red.

“You really are cute though.”

Kiira gazed at Lucca’s side profile with fascination as she grabbed the water bottle that was fastened to her belt. She popped the cap off and took a sip. The cool spring water reinvigorated her entire body.

“Here. Have a sip too, Lucca.”

“Thank you…”

Upon receiving the bottle with both hands, Lucca took small, graceful sips. Kiira couldn’t help but smile because she looked just like a hamster nibbling on a piece of fruit.

“By the way, Lucca. Have you decided on a name for your Pal?”

Returning the bottle, Lucca shook her head and replied,

“I can’t…. We don’t even know…whether the Mother Dragon will give us dragon larvae…”

“Huh!? What are you saying!? The Mother Dragon will definitely give them to us!”

“Uh…Kiira, you mean to say that…you’ve already decided?”

“That goes without saying.”

Kiira nodded confidently at Lucca.

“Can you tell me…the name that you thought of?”

After displaying a triumphant smile, Kirra blurted out a name that was well-known in history.

“Gawain! I’ve decided that my Pal will be called Gawain!”

Gawain — it was the name of a legendary hero that even children were familiar with in the Ecbald Village.

Part 2

The Ecbald Tribe were commonly known as the ‘fairies of the forest’. Having grown up amidst an ocean of trees, it would be reasonable to assume that Lucca had become accustomed to activities in the forest, but she had always seemed slow and unreliable.

“…I’m just slowing Kiira down.”

Lucca dejectedly hung her shoulders after returning the bottle to Kiira. Perhaps it was just an illusion, but her ears also appeared to be a little droopy. Even though the people outside the forest all used the term ‘elf ears’ to collectively refer to those of the Ecbald Tribe, the shape of each individual’s ears were naturally different. Among them, Lucca’s ears were especially beautiful. Kiira cared deeply about Lucca, and so she knew this better than anyone else.

“Haha, don’t take it to heart. If you keep your head down in misery like this, you’ll ruin those beautiful ears for nothing.”

After Kiira laughed boldly, she energetically slapped Lucca’s back.

“Ahh.”

With her centre of gravity destabilised, Lucca almost fell off the branch.

“Watch out!”

Kiira quickly reached out and grabbed onto the hem of Lucca’s clothing near her neck.

“Phew, that was close…”

After a struggle, Lucca finally managed to sit down again and breathed a sigh of relief. She then looked across and glared at Kiira.

“Uhh…”

She might’ve thought that she looked rather brave like that, but she actually looked like a nervous little animal and was even cuter.

“Don’t worry, Lucca. Compared to those who live outside the forest, you’re fairly accustomed to this forest environment. You just need to have some more faith in yourself.”

Kiira closed her eyes, focused her mind, and felt the movements of the wind and nature around her. Just a while ago — roughly a hundred children had been simultaneously sent into Albion Forest, much like a flock of animals set free to roam the wild. Many of the children felt helpless amidst the denseness of the forest and lost their will to go on.

“I’m scared!”

“Mummy!”

“I want to go home!”

Such cries made their way into Kiira’s ears. These cowardly and weak children basically stood no chance of entering into a contract with a dragon. With a faint sense of superiority in her heart, Kiira displayed a calm smile.

—<Orphan Ceremony>.

That was the name of this quintessential rite of passage. Its purpose was to obtain a larva from the Mother Dragon who resided deep within the forest. Having just celebrated their seventh birthdays in quick succession not long ago, both Kiira and Lucca had received a notice from the Knight Country’s government. In a letter delivered by the palace courier, a clear order was made for Kiira and Lucca to participate in the ceremony, and it was also stamped with the seal of Paladin Oswald for authenticity. The moment that she saw the seal on the letter, Kiira felt such elation at the thought that she would finally be able to start the journey towards her ‘dream’.

“There’s no time for you to feel depressed right now, Lucca. We still have great dreams waiting to be realised.”

After Kiira tried her best to cheer Lucca up with a buoyant voice, she placed both hands on her shoulders.

“We’re going to become Dragonars and perform the ultimate Dragon Dance — the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’! Have you forgotten that we swore an oath at the Shrine of Jylha?”

“Yes, we did swear.”

Lucca solemnly nodded.

“That technique requires the cooperation of two Dragonars. If either of us are missing, that dream will forevermore remain a dream. We need the Mother Dragon to give us larvae no matter what!”

“Yes…I’ll do my best.”

Although low in volume, Lucca’s voice was filled with determination.

“That’s the spirit, Lucca.”

Revealing a satisfied smile, Kiira briskly stood up.

“Alright then, let’s go and give the Mother Dragon a visit!”

At that moment, Kiira was filled with confidence. She was convinced that both of them would be able to form a contract with the dragons.

“Kiira and Lukka ~A.S.D.~1358.10~” is closed.

Chapter 1 – Ursula’s Visit

Part 1

Ash awoke in a daze as a surge of minty fragrance rushed into his nose.

“…?”

It was slightly different from Eco’s bodily fragrance though. The bed was also unusually stuffy. It was currently winter. If it was only Ash and Eco, it didn’t seem logical for it to feel so hot.

“Hmm…”

Feeling that something was off, Ash slowly opened his eyes.

“—Whoa!”

Ash stiffened in fright the very instant that he opened his eyes. All at once, his drowsiness vanished into thin air.

“Princess Mirabel…no, Mirabel-san!?”

The entirety of Ash’s vision was smothered by a view of Mirabel’s beautiful face. The distance between their faces was almost non-existent, being so close that they might as well have been glued together.

“Snuu, suu…”

Rays of morning light poured in through the window, making Mirabel’s silver hair shine brilliantly. The edge of the blanket formed a soft line with the white skin of her shoulders. For some reason, the shoulder straps of her nightwear appeared rather provocative.

“W-Why is Mirabel-san sleeping in my bed!?”

Although Ash panicked and tried to keep his distance from Mirabel, a soft sensation pressed up against him from behind.

“Unya…”

It was Eco. Deep in slumber, her entire body leaned against Ash’s back. Upon realising that her slightly bulging breasts were pressed right against his back, Ash’s heartrate naturally accelerated.

“By my hypothesis…. The Escavaron should have been built…during the Zono Ton civilisation’s era…snuu, snuu…”

While Mirabel murmured in her sleep, she extended her hand to embrace Ash’s neck. A peppermint aroma intensified in his nostrils, further stimulating Ash’s instinct. It was then that Ash realised how her small yet beautifully shaped breasts were pressed firmly against his chest.

“T-T-T-This isn’t good…!”

Ash was unable to move his body freely and could only endure a bitter struggle. Although he always maintained rationality in his actions, he was still a healthy young male. Sandwiched by the bodily warmth, touch and scent of Eco and Mirabel, his heartrate continued to flutter higher with each passing breath.

“—Oh Ash, you sly devil.”

Before his eyes, a bright glimmer of light was produced by magic from which Navi appeared. She had two sharp horns, a devilish little smile, and beauty that would make anyone drool — on this particular occasion, she wore a miniskirt maid outfit similar in appearance to what Celes normally wore. The outfit was completely adorned with frills and lace. To accurately classify it, the style seemed more apt for young girls, but it looked surprisingly good on Navi. Navi floated down from mid-air and straddled over Ash’s abdomen. With a smile, she caressed Ash’s chest, sides and even his thighs.

“N-No, you can’t…Navi. If you touch me like that, I’ll…”

“Oh, do tell, what’s going to happen?”

Navi revealed her tongue as she licked her lips. Her expression was akin to a leopard eyeing down its prey. Just as Ash’s instinct caused alarm bells to go off in his mind—

—Clank!

The ceiling vent that covered the ventilation shaft on the ceiling fell to the ground. Although it produced a rather loud noise, both Eco and Mirabel showed no sign of stirring and remained sound asleep.

“Just as I thought, this shaft is connected to Ash-sama’s bedroom!”

The person who poked their head out from the duct with a joyous expression was Jessica. However, her cheerful voice was short-lived as it soon devolved into one of bewilderment.

“Ash-sama! A-All this time, I was unaware and had no idea that…you’ve already progressed to such a point? And even Mirabel-sama…!”

“Hold on and listen to me, Jessica! This is a misunderstanding!”

“Ufufufufu…”

From the ceiling, Jessica cackled with an eerie laugh. She then coolly jumped down from the vent and landed on the bed with a ‘poof!’.

“Hey, Ash-sama.”

Jessica wore rather alluring nightwear which emphasised the curves of her body.

“At long last, I will become pregnant with your child today, Ash-sama!”

“Wait! How did you come to that conclusion!?”

“That was my original intention for exploring the ship. It seems my hard work has not been in vain either, as I’ve discovered a secret route for sneaking into Ash-sama’s bedroom!”

“No no, that’s not something worth bragging about!”

“The only concern I had was about how to persuade the uninitiated Ash-sama after sneaking into his bedroom, but…since you’re all already indulging in such fun, please let me join!”

“Like I said, what you see here is all a misunderstanding!”

“Let’s be honest here, Ash-sama, as the ruler of a country, you should consider the matter of producing a successor!”

No longer paying any heed to what Ash said, Jessica slowly advanced towards him. Her curvy body exuded a strong citrus scent.

“I see, successors huh. What Jessica says certainly does make sense.”

Unexpectedly, Navi seemed to have been enticed by Jessica’s words. She liberated Ash from her position above him and then sat obediently at the bedside. Only then was Ash able to sit his upper body up and begin to coax Jessica.

“Uh, Jessica? I…umm…haven’t thought that far ahead about heirs and all that yet. Moreover, I don’t think this is the right time for such things. We have a different goal worth fighting for right now—”

“Don’t worry. It’ll only hurt a little at the beginning, but it’ll feel very comfortable right away!”

“You’re talking about yourself — no no! Why is your answer so wrong!?”

Just as Ash clutched his head in frustration…

“—E-Excuse me…Ash-sama?”

A timid voice came from a corner of the room. Surprised, both Ash and Jessica directed their gaze towards the source of the voice. On the contrary, Navi seemed to have been aware of it for some time as she remained completely calm. Standing in a corner of the room was Mirabel’s personal maid — Eunice.

“Eunice!? H-How long have you been standing there for…?”

“Yes. I’ve been standing here ever since Princess-sama mistakenly stumbled in and fell asleep in Ash-sama’s room, so it’s been around three hours.”

“You’ve been here the whole time!”

Ash felt so embarrassed that his entire face turned red.

“Can you please carry Mirabel-san away from here immediately?”

“But, Princess-sama hasn’t shown such a sweet sleeping face in a long time…I couldn’t bear to wake her from her sleep…”

After saying so, Eunice cast her gaze towards Mirabel’s face.

“Could it be…Princess-sama actually treats Ash-sama as…”

However, Ash was unable to listen to the end of Eunice’s sentence. After all, it was during that moment when his bedroom door was forcefully and abruptly pushed open….

“Ash, you have to get up right now!”

Silvia rushed into his room with a sense of urgency.

“The Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars has just arrived! We should quickly hand Uriel over to—”

However, halfway through her sentence, Silvia was rendered speechless and left with her mouth agape.

“Ash!? W-What is going on here!? Eco is your Pal, so I can turn a blind eye to her, but why are Navi, Jessica and even aneue and Eunice…!”

Silvia’s face turned pale as a shiver appeared to overcome her entire body.

“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy…?”

Producing a beautiful voice reminiscent of a silver chime, Mirabel awoke at last. Though, perhaps because her consciousness was still somewhat hazy, she leaned her chin on Ash’s shoulder in a very intimate manner.

“—Uh!”

Ash choked on his voice as his limbs froze in place. Silky silver hair brushed against Ash’s cheek. Resting her chin on Ash’s shoulder, Mirabel muttered with a tone of surprise and confusion,

“Eunice? You feel…rather sturdy this morning…”

It appeared that she had confused Ash for Eunice. The <Argento Magus> had always portrayed an image of perfection, but she surprisingly seemed to have trouble with getting out of bed in the morning. Ash recalled that Silvia had once revealed her sister’s issue with low blood pressure. Ash couldn’t help but smile at Mirabel’s morning weakness, but his eyes widened in shock the next instant. The quilt and blanket that originally covered Mirabel abruptly slipped off.

“Uwah! Mirabel-san!?”

The thin silk garment that covered Mirabel’s upper body was exposed in complete view. Despite being aware that it was impolite, Ash found himself powerless to unglue his eyes from Mirabel’s body. Her snow-white skin was bathed in sunlight, giving it an illustrious glow. Her left shoulder strap had slipped down to her upper arm, creating a beguiling sight that Ash couldn’t help but feel aroused by.

“Huh?”

It was only upon hearing Ash’s voice that Mirabel noticed something was amiss. It was only natural that she’d feel taken aback when the person that she thought was Eunice spoke with a masculine voice. Her hazy eyes were finally restored to their intellectual brilliance.

“G-Good morning…Mirabel-san.”

Realising that he had no chance of escaping from the situation, Ash decided to simply bite the bullet and pre-empt the situation.

“Nooo—!”

Subsequently, Mirabel let out a shrill scream—.

Part 2

The magic ship Escavaron was presently stationed at the border between the Kingdom and the Knight Country — closer to a mountain range in the Knight Country. Ash and Silvia were responsible for welcoming the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars. Mirabel fell into a state of traumatic shock as she locked herself in her room and refused to come out. In addition to Eco, the majority of the crew members aboard the ship were still asleep. After all, they had fought through a fierce battle the night before and many of them were injured, so it would be cruel to forcibly wake them up. Upon arriving at the deck, Ash and Silvia found three Maestros lined up in a row before them. Under the radiance of the morning sun, their silver fur was a truly spectacular sight. Among the three of them, the one in the centre was most eye-catching as its head and chest were adorned with opulent ornaments.

—Maestro Galahad.

It was the Pal that belonged to the Captain of the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars, Ursula L. Selwyn. Ursula led two adjutants as she strode forward in a gallant manner. She possessed such heavenly beauty that she almost appeared to be saintlike. Her magnificent armour that glittered like stardust was the Ark that Galahad had bestowed upon her. It made it seem as if a halo illuminated her very being.

“We have come to visit, Your Royal Highness Silvia—”

Silvia swiftly stopped Ursula just as she was about to kneel down on the spot.

“Don’t worry about the formalities, I have no need for such a grandiose salutation. By the way…have my selfish actions angered aneue after all?”

Silvia asked, as the issue likely concerned her decision to enter the Escavaron as an ambassador of the Lautreamont Knight Country. Fontaine Palace should’ve learned about the series of events which unfolded via the holy ship Esperanza which Pope Raquel IV was on board. That was precisely why Ursula was able to take action in the first place. Silvia’s arbitrary actions were bound to be discovered by First Princess Veronica. However, Ursula shook her head.

“No, Her Royal Highness Veronica hasn’t paid much attention to politics or military affairs lately as she’s been focused on other matters instead. As for the actions of Your Royal Highness Silvia, she hasn’t expressed any opinion in particular…”

Silvia breathed a sigh of relief but expressed doubt.

“Is that so? What do you mean by other matters, then?”

“To be specific, that would be beauty and clothing, as well as…ballroom dancing and the like.”

“Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh!?”

Both Ash and Silvia were astounded by the unexpected answer.

“…Hey, Ash. This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with you, right?”

Silvia gave Ash an apprehensive look.

“W-Why would I…!”

Ash froze. He then recalled the dinner party that he attended in Fontaine Palace the other day. Veronica dressed up and attended just for Ash’s sake. There was also a minor incident on the day, where she accidentally revealed her breasts in front of Ash—.

“On another note, where is Prince Uriel?”

As if to break Ash free from the situation, Ursula cut straight to the point.

“Ah, I’ve already asked Cosette to escort him here. Please wait a moment.”

After returning a nod to Silvia, Ursula turned her gaze away. However, she began to stare at Ash’s face for some reason. Ash felt rather embarrassed to have a saint-like beauty stare at him.

“Ash-dono. You did not hesitate to use this magical ship as a piece of territory to declare independence in order to rescue Oscar-sama. You made a swift and bold decision.”

“…You flatter me.”

“The Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars owes you a great debt, Ash-dono. If you face any difficulties in the future, please don’t hesitate to rely on us for assistance. Many difficulties surely await you in your journey to rule a country.”

While making a faint smile, Ursula extended her hand out to Ash.

“Thank you for your kindness, Captain Ursula.”

Ash also smiled in return as he shook her hand. Rather than a saint, she’s more like an angel…Ash couldn’t help but hold such inappropriate thoughts in his mind. 

“What’s going on here!?”

Silvia suddenly murmured out of shock.

“Princess-sama, is something wrong?”

With a confused expression on his face, Ash noticed Silvia’s intense gaze on Ursula.

“…That’s strange, Captain Ursula. You’re known in the court as the <Silent Virginia> who never takes the initiative to interact with others, and yet of your own volition — you’d ask for a handshake, and from a man as well. …It’s a shame that there aren’t any gossip-loving journalists here to witness this.”

After letting go of Ash’s hand, Ursula fell into silence as she pondered for a while.

“It is just as you say, Your Royal Highness Silvia. What I did just then…goes against my usual way of doing things. I wonder why?”

Ursula tilted her head in puzzlement. The expression on her face was so innocent and pure that one wouldn’t make out at first glance that she was in fact the leader of the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars. It appeared that there was a natural side to Ursula as well.

“I don’t know how to answer that question myself…”

Silvia was probably caught off guard by that question, as she crossed her arms over her chest and cast her gaze to the side.

“—I have brought the captive.”

It was then that Cossette appeared with Uriel in tow.

“Oh. How grandiose it is to have Captain Ursula personally escort me.”

“It looks like you’ve already recovered to the point that you can speak so casually.”

Ash sighed, and Uriel directed a cold smile at him. When Uriel was rescued last night, it seemed like he was almost a goner. At the time, they thought that he might never recover, but he was surprisingly able to walk on his own now.

“It’s all thanks to the medical device that you guys call <Iunones>. I must thank you for saving my life—”

“Third Prince Uriel. I have been ordered to escort you back to Fontaine Palace.”

Ursula declared with a straight face.

“I understand. It’s useless to resist anyway and I have no intention of suicide either. Rest assured.”

“I shall believe in your words.”

Ursula nodded and then handed Uriel over to the two adjutants behind her. Just as Uriel was grabbed on each side by the two Dragonars equipped with Arks and about to be taken away—

“Listen closely, Ash.”

Uriel suddenly turned back to face Ash.

“The name of the court pharmacist who prepared the drug <Galatea> is Kiira Brava Henriksen.”

“…That’s a peculiar name. It doesn’t sound like one that belongs to a citizen of the Kingdom or the Knight Country.”

“Of course. That’s because she’s from the Ecbald Tribe.”

Upon hearing that she was from the Ecbald Tribe, the first thing that came into Ash’s mind was Lucca’s face.

“There shouldn’t be anyone better than her in terms of herbal drug synthesis. If you want to cure Oscar, locating her will be the fastest way.”

“Where is that pharmacist now? Arkham Castle?”

“No, she’s out of the city temporarily. And if word of my arrest reaches her, I’m afraid she’ll never return. To be frank, she’s a somewhat mysterious person…”

“What do you mean by that?”

In reply, Uriel snickered and said,

“For example…when I asked her to produce <Galatea>, she made me a counteroffer. She wanted six hundred and sixty-six lives as ingredients for it.”

“Six hundred and sixty-six people!? It took that many human lives to make <Galatea>?”

“No, that would be incorrect. The amount of blood actually required for <Galatea> would’ve been ten people at most.”

“So, you’re saying…”

“Indeed. Just as I wanted a particular drug…Kiira also had a drug that she wanted to produce. And in order to make it, six hundred and sixty-six lives had to be sacrificed. As for what kind of drug she wanted to make, I have no idea…”

“You’re telling me that you abducted people from the Brailsford territory for this reason?”

“Yes. Those people weren’t taken away for <Galatea>, but in order to satisfy Kiira’s request.”

Ash’s nervousness caused his mouth to become parched and dry.

—Kiira Brava Henriksen.

It seemed that this was a dangerous individual far beyond Ash’s imagination.

“However, the people of the Brailsford territory have already been liberated by the Holy Espada Agency, so Kiira should have no reason to continue, right?”

Uriel shook his head and answered Ash’s question.

“No, the people from the Brailsford territory were arrested just in case they would be required. The criminals provided by the prison in the Royal Capital Arkham were sufficient to meet Kiira’s needs.”

Ash was infuriated by Uriel’s blatant disregard for human life.

“Even if the sacrifices were all prisoners, how could you use human lives as a commodity!?”

Ursula extended her arm to hold Ash back.

“Ash-dono. I understand your feelings, but we must focus on gathering information right now.”

Simply because the gaze of Ursula’s clear eyes rested on him, Ash somehow managed to calm himself.

“You’re right. Sorry…”

After Ash had calmed down, he asked another question.

“Do you have any clues on the whereabouts of this pharmacist named Kiira?”

“Unfortunately, I never asked her where she was going. Though, I did see her constantly studying literature on the Knight Country’s <Three Forests>.”

Uriel directed his sharp gaze at Ash.

“As someone from the Knight Country, you know where they are, right?”

“<Three Forests>? I think I remember it from geography class…which three forests again?”

Ash scratched his head as he felt troubled over something from his studies.

“Come on, Ash! They taught this in geography class!”

Naturally, Silvia gave him a fierce scolding.

“The Three Forests are Albion Forest, Gnome Forest and the Ecbald Forest. Make sure you remember!”

Ash felt so ashamed that he could no longer lift his head, though Uriel continued,

“The <Three Forests> are a well-known treasure trove of medicinal herbs. It’s highly possible that she’s gone off to one of those forests.

“…It might take some time and effort to track her down but thank you for the information.”

Contrary to Ash who frankly expressed his gratitude, Silvia simply glared at Uriel.

“You handed this information over rather easily. Don’t tell me that this is a trap, Uriel?”

Uriel shrugged as he revealed a sardonic smile.

“I’m not providing this information for the sake of you guys or Oscar. To be honest, there isn’t much time left.”

Both Ash and Silvia tilted their heads in confusion.

“With me and Oscar out of the picture, those incompetent princes will eventually start a civil war in the Kingdom.”

“What did you say!?”

Ash and Silvia cried in unison.

“After all, there are over a hundred people who have a right to inherit the throne. If the battle for the throne goes on for too long, it’s possible that it’ll even spread to the neighbouring countries.”

“What Prince Uriel says is logical.”

Ursula sombrely muttered.

“Then…what should we do?”

Ash clenched his teeth.

“No need to panic, Ash Blake. I still have a plan.”

For some reason, Uriel’s calm demeanour made those around him feel somewhat irritated. Even now, Uriel still acted like a ‘prince’.

“With Oscar’s talent, it won’t be impossible for her to resolve this national disaster. If she’s successful, even the ministers and citizens will have no choice but to accept the fact that Oscar will be the first queen to rule in the history of the Kingdom. As long as she can attain that result, the crime of gender fraud will be nothing but a triviality—”

Part 3

Ash clenched his fists as he watched Ursula and the others fly into the dawn sky.

“We have to lift the curse of the narcotic on Oscar as soon as possible.”

“Yes, I agree.”

Silvia also lifted her head and gazed at the sky as she responded to Ash. And then, their eyes naturally met—. Ash suddenly recalled something. He had previously shared a deeply intimate kiss and embrace with Silvia on this very deck. And when they parted from each other, Silvia had shyly said something along the lines of—

—I-I’ll wait for your triumphant return, and then we can continue!

The moment that incident popped into his mind, Ash couldn’t stop his heartrate from accelerating.

“D-Don’t keep staring at me like that…”

Silvia had probably recalled the exact same memory. Her cheeks became red and she appeared distraught. Under the radiant morning sun, Silvia’s blonde hair gleamed brilliantly. She raised her chin slightly and then gently closed her eyes. Words were no longer required. Just as Ash timidly reached out for Silvia’s shoulders — he came to his senses and looked around him.

“Oh my, please don’t mind me, you two. Ufufufufu.”

As expected, Cosette smiled from ear to ear as she eagerly awaited the scene of the two of them kissing.

“Y-You idiot—”

Silvia blushed to the point that even her ears became hot, and she fled the scene in a hurry.

“Crisis of The Kingdom ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 2 - Lucca's Past

Part 1

Just after eight o’clock in the morning—.

A group of people prepared to have breakfast in the dining room of the living quarters whilst holding a meeting at the same time. With Ash as their leader, those in attendance included Eco, Silvia, Mirabel, Rebecca, Lucca, Jessica, Anya, Celes, Max and Raymond. Incidentally, since Navi did not require food, she abstained from attending the meeting.

“……”

Ash quietly peered sideways towards Mirabel. As usual, she had an intelligent expression fitting of her name as the <Argento Magus>. Because of an incident in the morning, she had shut herself away in her room. She had insisted on staying inside even when Captain Ursula showed up, so it must’ve been quite a blow mentally. Ash finally felt a bit relieved to see Mirabel attend the meeting of her own volition.

A dazzling array of various colourful dishes lined the table. Although meals on the ship were usually based on preserved food, this morning was a fresh change of pace. There were freshly baked bread rolls, fluffy omelettes, crispy seared bacon, sausages, a thick soup with various vegetables, and yoghurt with plenty of honey. As for drinks, there was milk tea. In addition, there were also freshly made crepes. Crepes happened to be Eco’s favourite food. Cosette had probably prepared them specially for Eco.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be able to have crepes before returning to Ansarivan…I’m so touched!”

Eco was moved to tears, and the first thing that she picked up and put in her mouth was a crepe.

“Mmm~”

Eco relished the taste as she munched down, and a joyful expression spread across her face. Seeing her like that, Ash couldn’t help but reach out for a crepe so he could try a bite as well.

“Mmm! This is…!”

The instant that he took a bite, the sweetness and acetic flavour of strawberries melded with the crispy texture of apple slices that overflowed in his mouth. At the same time, the melting cream danced vividly on the tip of his tongue. In amazement, Ash thought to himself that the quality was on par with what one could expect at a store. Cosette and Eunice were still hard at work in the kitchen. Thanks to the assistance of Bright Dragon Crystals, the firepower required for cooking was more than sufficient.

“Where did all of these fresh ingredients come from?”

Ash asked out of curiosity, to which Cosette replied,

“They’re a souvenir from Captain Ursula.”

Ash was surprised because he had never heard Ursula mention this at all. Ursula certainly thought highly and was considerate of Ash given that she silently left all of this behind. After mentally expressing his thanks to Ursula, Ash looked around at everyone’s faces.

“Well, let’s have breakfast…while we also begin to discuss the policy that we will adopt from here on out.”

Everyone’s eyes focused on Ash. Ash first decided to relay the information that he had obtained from Uriel.

“This morning, when we extradited Prince Uriel and handed him over to the Captain of the Lautreamont Order of Holy Dragonars, Ursula…he volunteered an unexpected piece of information to us.”

“Uriel? Can we believe what he said?”

Mirabel frowned.

“At first, I also suspected that it was another of his traps, but Uriel genuinely seems to care about the future of the Kingdom in his own way. I think that he can be trusted this time.”

“What did Uriel tell you?”

Rebecca asked with a sharp tone. She almost succumbed to Uriel’s malevolence last night, but she was fortunately safe and steadily recovering from her injuries. Although there was still a long way to go before she’d be fully healed, the <Scarlet Empress> wouldn’t be absent because of such trivial injuries.

“If the status quo continues, it’ll only be a matter of time before a war for the throne ensues.”

Ash’s words plunged everyone at the dining table into silence.

“From our standpoint, we can’t just sit back and wait for such a situation to happen. I believe that the actions we took were correct and I don’t have any regrets thus far about defeating Uriel. However, I don’t want to see our actions lead to continued and pointless civil strife in the Kingdom…that will indirectly cause misery in the lives of many innocent people.”

“That’s correct. I agree with Ash.”

Silvia nodded firmly to express her agreement.

“The question is, what can we do to prevent a battle for the throne? It’d be impossible to navigate around the Kingdom in the Escavaron to calm the chaos as that’d be far too inefficient…”

Mirabel placed her fingers against her chin as she tried to come up with a sound plan. Ash looked around at everyone once more.

“Uriel himself said that Oscar is the only person capable of preventing the outbreak of civil war. Moreover, in order for Oscar to succeed the throne as the Kingdom’s first ruling queen, the best way will be to have all of the princes bend the knee to her.”

“I understand what you mean. This means our top priority is to cure Oscar, right?”

Ash nodded in response to Mirabel’s question.

“Yes, what I mean to say is that unless we can free Oscar from the curse of <Galatea>, everything else is just a hollow desire.”

“Did Uriel reveal any information about the drug? As things are right now, there are too many unsolved mysteries…”

Celes anxiously asked. She had barely touched her breakfast because she was so worried about Oscar.

“I obtained some information about the court pharmacist from Uriel. Her name is Kiira Brava Henriksen.”

—Doon!

All of a sudden, a loud noise permeated the entire dining room. It seemed that Lucca had toppled her chair upon standing up. Startled and taken aback, everyone in attendance directed their focus to Lucca. Only when Lucca rode atop Gawain did she display her talent as the <Elfin Dancer>. However, she usually had a quiet nature and did everything rather slowly. No one in the room had expected Lucca to knock over her chair with such force.

“Kiira…where is Kiira!?”

Lucca cried out in a sharp voice that was completely different from her usual tone. Her face was pale, and her body trembled without rest. Although surprised by Lucca’s change in demeanour, Ash calmly replied,

“Uriel doesn’t seem to know where exactly she is either. He only said that Kiira has probably gone to one of the <Three Forests>…”

Lucca hurriedly rushed out of the dining room, as if just that piece of information was enough to narrow down her whereabouts.

“…Ash, quickly go after her. As a leader, it’s also your responsibility to pacify your team members.”

Mirabel urged Ash, who simply stood there in a daze.

“Hmm. I don’t really want you to go…but it seems like an unusual situation given her reaction. Lucca must have some kind of close relationship with that pharmacist.”

Silvia folded her arms and grumbled.

“…Geez, it can’t be helped. Ash, go and bring her back.”

Unexpectedly, even Eco expressed support for Ash to go and bring Lucca back. Lately, Eco seemed much more mature. Perhaps her awakening as Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor and successful bestowal of a complete Ark to Ash allowed her to relax and calm her mind.

“I’ll be taking your crepes though!”

While Ash was fuelled by emotion, Eco swiftly reached over and snatched all of the crepes from Ash’s plate.

“Hey, I’ve already taken a bite of those crepes!”

“An indirect kiss between us now is…nothing to make a fuss over anymore, right?”

After Eco’s cheeks turned slightly red, she bit down on the crepe that still had Ash’s bite marks on it.

“What does ‘an indirect kiss between us now’ mean? How suspicious…”

Jessica muttered to herself in a low voice. A dark, resentful aura seemed to emanate from her entire body. No, it wasn’t just Jessica. Ever since Eco had spoken those surprising words, the girls in the room had unwittingly filled the room with a tense atmosphere.

“Uh, umm, I’m…going to go and come back soon.”

Finding himself in a thorny situation, Ash hurried out of the dining room.

Part 2

“Lucca! Wait up!”

The ship’s corridors were both narrow and complex. Ash chased after the silhouette of Lucca’s figure as he continued to call out to her. Soon, Ash arrived at the entrance to the hangar.

“Huff, huff…”

The door to the hangar was half ajar. The aroma of Ansal Herb, a favourite of the dragon species, faintly wafted out from within. Ash had a bad premonition.

“Don’t tell me…she plans to ride Gawain away!?”

After sliding into the hangar through the gap in the door, the figures of four Maestros entered his view — Cú Chulainn, Tristan, Lancelot and Arianrhod. The Hydra Rhiannon and Asia Brigid also mingled with the four Maestros. All of them had just finished breakfast and were resting leisurely. The only exception among them was the Maestro Gawain. Carrying Lucca, Gawain had moved to the gate that led to the deck. The gate had a design that was a composite of magic and mechanics, and it would automatically open or close by sensing the intent of a dragon.

“Lucca, wait!”

Ash sprinted as fast as he could.

“Gawain, make haste!”

Lucca commanded with a stringent voice.

“Lucca’s not acting calmly right now! Stop, Gawain!”

Ash bellowed as he attempted to overpower Lucca’s voice.

“Grrrrr…!”

Gawain griped as if it was in distress and lowered its neck.

—Now’s my chance…!

Ash seized his opportunity with Gawain’s hesitation and launched himself onto Gawain’s back.

“It’s not like you to act on your own, Lucca.”

“I have to go and see Kiira. I must…see her.”

“Why are you so fixated on Kiira? Please, tell me what’s going on?”

Ash placed his hand on Lucca’s shoulder.

“…No.”

Unexpectedly, Lucca cast Ash’s hand aside, climbed up onto Gawain’s neck and then yelled out with a pleading tone,

“Listen to my orders, Gawain!”

“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

Gawain let out a roar and raised its head. The Bright Dragon Crystal embedded in the gate began to emit a dazzling glow.

—Dodododododo…

The gate slowly began to open, accompanied by a low-pitched mechanical hum. Rays of morning light from outside began to illuminate Gawain’s forelimbs.

“Kuh…!”

Ash clenched his fists. As expected, Gawain gave Lucca’s orders priority since she was its master. The gate was already halfway open. There was no time. Unease filled Ash’s mind. It seemed as though there was an unprecedented hidden past between Lucca and Kiira. If she left like this, it would probably be goodbye and there’d be no chance of meeting each other again.

—I can’t let her leave no matter what! There has to be a way!

Ash instantly made a decision. Gawain’s assistance was absolutely necessary for Lucca to escape. It was during this moment that Ash remembered a saying — ‘to capture a general, shoot the horse first’.

“I’m sorry Lucca!”

After giving an advance apology, Ash exerted strength into both of his arms.

“Huh!?”

Although she rarely displayed much emotion, Lucca couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. That was because Ash suddenly embraced Lucca without saying a single word. It was the so-called ‘princess hug’. As a result, Lucca’s body also left Gawain. The only person sitting on Gawain’s back now was Ash.

“Grrrrr…”

Just as Ash expected, Gawain was confused by the sudden change in rider. Ash then used his special talent as ‘The Boy Who Can Ride Any Dragon’ to exert dominance over Gawain.

“No! I must go to meet Kiira…fly, Gawain!”

Although Lucca was held in Ash’s arms, she still refused to give up.

“Graaaaaaaaahh!”

Gawain let out another roar, and the gate continued to open up as it responded to Gawain’s will. A cold wind poured into the hangar.

“Tsk! Sure enough, it’s going to put its master’s orders first, huh? No, it’s too early to give up!”

Ash recalled his experience with controlling many dragons in the past and deepened his consciousness into Gawain’s psyche.

“Ruuuu!”

Gawain growled in anger, unwilling to give in.

“Kuh. Gawain is pretty tough…”

Ash already had a taste of just how difficult Gawain was compared to other dragons during the training camp. Back then, Ash constantly challenged Gawain with perseverance, and he ended up with some serious injuries. However, Ash had grown a lot since then. Moreover, he could even handle Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor, Eco, perfectly.

“Take this, more—”

Ash focused all of his energy and continued to penetrate Gawain’s psyche with his thoughts. He imagined himself as a tree with roots pushing downwards, slowly cornering Gawain into a dead end. Suddenly — Gawain’s body twitched.

“Urgruuuuuuu…!”

It let out a growl that sounded distinctly different from before. It was desperately trying to fight against Ash’s intervention.

However, this only served as proof that Ash’s attempt at control was having an effect. Ash then decided that this was an opportune moment.

“I command you in the name of the <Avalon Knight>! Trust me, Gawain! If you truly care about Lucca, then stay here and don’t leave!”

“Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…!”

Gawain raised its back. Since Ash was holding Lucca with both arms, the best that he could do was rely on his legs to stay rooted to Gawain’s back so as not to be thrown off.

“Relax! I’ll definitely protect Lucca!”

Upon being moved by Ash’s show of determination—

“Kuuu…”

Gawain retreated from the gate and knelt down on the spot. The gate that was half open automatically shut, restoring tranquillity to the hangar. 

“Are you okay, Lucca?”

Ash jumped off from Gawain’s back with Lucca in his arms, and then allowed her to stand on her own feet again.

“Ash, you’re so pushy…”

Lucca muttered as she lowered her head slightly.

“Also, being held in a ‘princess hug’ like this…it doesn’t make me happy at all.”

It seemed as though she was sulking over it. Although she usually looked unfazed about most things, she was still a maiden at heart.

“I’m sorry Lucca! But it seemed as if you’d become completely irrational…and I couldn’t stand to just watch you leave.”

“…Are you worried about me?”

“That goes without saying! Please don’t try to shoulder everything by yourself. If it’s something within my ability, I’m willing to lend a hand — besides, I made a promise to Gawain just then.”

When Ash directed a glance at Gawain, it decisively responded with a mighty roar.

“Ash…”

“Although this might bring back some unpleasant memories, can you please tell me what happened to you in the past, Lucca?”

Ash gazed at Lucca with a solemn expression. Lucca’s lips trembled, but after a while, she finally lifted her face as if she had made up her mind.

“As I am now…my mind is a mess. I don’t have the confidence…that I can explain it clearly.”

“Is that so…?”

It appeared that the shared past between Lucca and Kiira was indeed a sensitive subject for her. It’s probably best to give her some time to sort out her feelings — just when Ash thought that, Lucca made an unexpected request.

“Ten o’clock tonight…come to the deck.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be waiting for you…”

After Lucca leaned into Ash’s ear and whispered so, she briskly dashed away.

Part 3

Ash returned to the dining room by himself.

“Did you talk to Lucca?”

Silvia was the first to ask.

“Yeah, I had a good talk with her. Although she almost rode away on Gawain, I was lucky that I managed to catch up in time.”

“She was going to run off alone? It’s not like Lucca to do something like that…”

Rebecca mumbled in relief.

“So? Ash, did you ask about the relationship between Lucca and Kiira?”

Mirabel calmly asked.

“Uh, my intention was to give her some time to sort out her feelings. I believe that she’ll be able to tell me.”

Ash deliberately avoided mentioning that they had agreed to meet on the deck tonight. After all, if he simply stated that, he felt as though Eco, Silvia, Jessica and the others would probably insist on tagging along.

“Very well, we’ll leave Lucca to Ash then. The question now is…in order to cure Oscar, what can Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights do to achieve that goal?”

Upon hearing Mirabel’s question, although everyone appeared to nod in agreement, they all had sombre expressions. Ash himself had no idea what he could do to save Oscar. The so-called narcotic — it was an inhumane drug that was derived from human lives. The method for preparing an antidote was unimaginable, and the existence of an antidote at all was also doubtful. Was the most convenient method to locate Kiira after all? However, trying to find Kiira within the <Three Forests> was a task as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.

“……”

Unfortunately, everyone present probably shared the same thoughts as Ash. The dining room was shrouded by a heavy silence. Suddenly, Mirabel raised her head, and the expression in her eyes appeared deeply serious and calm.

“I have a suggestion, if everyone is on board…there may be other people in the Ecbald Autonomous Region who are familiar with the narcotic <Galatea>. With any luck, we might run into someone who knows how to make the antidote.”

“Aneue, that’s an excellent idea!”

Silvia passionately clenched her fist.

“I also agree!”

Celes raised her hand in agreement. It was as if her lone eye had focused upon a glimmer of light that shot into the darkness. Ash aside, the others also nodded to express their agreement.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone has an objection. So, once maintenance of our systems is complete, let’s set off for the Ecbald Autonomous Region.”

“What’s the estimated time for repairs?”

Upon hearing Ash’s question, Mirabel paused to think for a moment and then replied,

“Let’s see. If progress is fast enough, we’ll be able to take off early tomorrow morning.”

And with that, the morning meeting came to an end.

Part 4

“…It’s almost the agreed time.”

After flipping shut the cover of his silver pocket watch in the darkness of his room, Ash slowly raised his upper body. The agreed time of his meeting with Lucca drew closer every minute. In the end, Lucca stayed in her room and never came out. Even so, Ash had faith in Lucca so he didn’t try to coerce her into speaking before their meeting. And then, the shadow of night took over…

“Ngh…snu…snu…”

Beside him, Eco lay sprawled out on the bed sound asleep. If they were still sleeping on their small bed in Apollo House right now, Ash probably would’ve been kicked off the bed long ago. Fortunately, the bed in this room was sufficiently large, so there was plenty of room even despite Eco’s poor sleep habits. However, Ash somehow felt that the frequency of Eco’s nibbling seemed to have increased. Ash couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about sneaking out of the room as he gazed at the innocence of Eco’s sleeping face, but it couldn’t be helped as he had made a promise to Lucca.

Ash tiptoed as he left the bedroom so as to avoid making any noise. He walked through the dimly lit corridors, illuminated only by nightlights as he made his way to the deck. Everyone was likely asleep. After all, their life on board the ship essentially followed the same pattern as the student dormitories. Somewhat nervously, Ash opened the metal door which led to the deck. The cold outside air rushed inwards accompanied by the sound of grinding metal.

“It’s freezing…!”

As soon as Ash opened his mouth, white breath slipped out of his lips. Upon taking a step outside, he found that the outside world had been enclosed by the cold night. A slender crescent moon hung high in a corner of the night sky, emitting a hazy glow. Without having to search, Ash immediately took notice of Lucca’s figure. Bathed in the mysterious moonlight, Lucca stood quietly at the edge of the deck. She turned her head and looked back upon taking notice of Ash’s arrival. Her limbs faintly glowed as if a backlight shone behind her. This was none other than the beauty of a fairy.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Ash couldn’t help but feel a little worried upon seeing how Lucca was dressed. Lucca was only wearing a set of thin pyjamas and a single jacket on top.

“This temperature isn’t considered cold for Ecbald people. Come and sit here.”

Lucca answered Ash’s question straightforwardly and then invited him to sit down. An Ecbald-style rug was laid out under her legs. Placed on top of it were a variety of herbs, a mortar, a magic stove and other utensils that looked like they would belong in a pharmacist’s workshop.

“Can we…talk while drinking some tea? I think…I’ll be able to speak more calmly like this.”

“Sure.”

After nodding in agreement, Ash sat down on the rug. 

“When I was five years old, in the Ecbald Forest…an infectious disease broke out. Herbal medicine didn’t have any effect at all…and many Ecbald people died of the illness. My parents were no exception—”

Ash was shocked to learn that Lucca had such an unimaginable past.

“It was the Henriksen family that took me in afterwards when I became an orphan…”

“Henriksen? Is that Kiira’s family?”

Ash involuntarily leaned forward. 

“Yes. The Henriksen family is well-known…aside from me, there were several other orphans who were accepted.”

“So, Kiira’s parents took you in as an adopted daughter…”

Lucca shook her head in disagreement with Ash.

“Not as an adopted daughter. I was only hired as a child servant.”

“I see…”

“But…I hardly ever felt as though I was ‘at work’. That’s because my only responsibility was to play with Kiira.”

“What was Kiira like as a child?”

“She’s the same age as me, and even her birthday happens to be on the same day. She always smiled and had a cheerful personality…she was also adventurous. She was a girl who enjoyed hunting more than herbs…”

While Lucca ground some herbs in the mortar, her eyes reflected a nostalgia for the past. 

Kiira always took Lucca’s hand and they went on adventures in the forest every day. Although Lucca was only one of many servants, was poor at communicating with others, and wasn’t the best at doing work — Kiira adored Lucca the most. Lucca was also quite confused at first, but she gradually dropped her identity as a servant and treated Kiira like a friend. Before they knew it, the barrier between the young mistress and the servant had completely disappeared. Kiira genuinely longed to become a Dragonar—. 

“…Please have some tea.”

Lucca poured some herbal tea into a bowl and then offered it to Ash.

“Ah, thank you.”

After Ash sat up properly, her took the bowl and placed it against his lips. The fragrance of ginger and lemon spread through his mouth. With just a sip, he felt his body start to warm up from the inside. Although the tea that Lucca made had first-class medicinal effects, its appearance and taste was often rather peculiar, except on this occasion tonight. It was so good that Ash wanted to drink it on a daily basis.

“It’s delicious. What kind of tea is this?”

Perhaps not expecting praise from Ash, Lucca seemed a little embarrassed, and it took a while for her usual expressionless face to return.

“It doesn’t have a particular name. It’s herbal tea that’s been passed down from generation to generation in the Henriksen family. As a servant in that house…the first thing to learn was the brewing method for this tea.”

Lucca clenched a small fist on her lap as she cast her eyes downward.

“This herbal tea…it was also Kiira’s favourite drink.”

Perhaps this herbal tea was a symbol of friendship between Lucca and Kiira. Ash set the bowl down after drinking the rest of the tea.

“…When Kiira and I turned seven, we received a notice from the palace.”

“A notice for the <Orphan Ceremony>, right?”

Lucca raised her head and gently nodded.

“Kiira had a grand dream.”

“To become a Dragonar?”

“Becoming a Dragonar was only a prerequisite for fulfilling her dream. Kiira’s dream was to dance the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’.”

“I’ve never heard of that one. What number dragon riding dance is it?”

“The ‘Twin-Winded Oratorio’ is a special case. It belongs to number zero.”

“Zero? What kind of performance is it?”

“Only a few adults know the details about it.”

“I see…”

“I’m only sure about one thing. The dance requires two Dragonars…”

Ash glanced up upon hearing Lucca’s words.

“I see. No wonder it’s called ‘Twin-Winged’.”

Even the dances numbered from one through to three that Lucca had performed solo allowed people to witness the amazing speed with which she moved through the air. As such, if two people were to dance through the skies simultaneously, failure was inevitable unless the pair were in perfect synchronisation. Upon hearing this, a thought entered Ash’s mind.

“…I get it now. The person that Kiira wanted to dance the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with was you, right Lucca?”

“………”

A shadow was immediately cast over Lucca’s expression. Looking closer, her shoulders constantly trembled. It looked as if she was desperately trying to resist an undeniable truth. Ash recalled what happened during his first meeting with Lucca. Back then, Rebecca had clearly said,

—Lucca is currently the only Ecbald person studying at the Academy.

“The only person who gained the favour of the Mother Dragon was Lucca, and not Kiira, huh…”

Lucca silently nodded as she revealed a dejected expression. A biting cold wind swiftly whistled across the deck.

Part 5

After escorting Lucca back to her room, Ash returned to the entrance of his own room. Frankly speaking, he was worried about leaving Lucca alone, but…

—I’m okay now.

Before they parted, Lucca had lifted her spirits and straightened her ears as she declared that. If confiding in me about her past can make her feel little better, then that’s for the best…Ash thought to himself. Ash carefully opened his bedroom door so as to avoid making any noise. The moment that he opened the door, a pair of eyes greeted him on the other side.

“Uwaaahh!”

In fright, Ash slipped and his rear slammed onto the ground.

“…You’re back rather late, aren’t you?”

With a ‘pah!’, the door was yanked wide open and Eco appeared in her pyjamas. In her hand was a portable lantern powered by dragon magic which she held up in front of her chest.

“Eco!? Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Don’t keep treating me like a child. There are times when I get up in the middle of the night as well.”

“I see…fine, let’s not mention that. We’d better be off to bed. If you stay up late, you won’t be able to get up tomorrow morning.”

Ash walked into the room after placing his hand on Eco’s head. In fact, he had already been struck by a bout of drowsiness as soon as he made it to his room door. However, such a simple desire went unfulfilled.

“Ngh!?”

Eco unexpectedly grabbed him by the collar from behind.

“…Eco?”

“You snuck out of the room in the middle of the night, went somewhere and did something with someone…I haven’t heard what that is yet, you know? Although I can just ask Navi about it later, shouldn’t you tell me in person?”

“Y-You’re right.”

Ash resigned himself and explained what had happened to Eco. 

“—In any case, that’s how it is.”

Eco’s expression grew more serious as Ash talked.

“And then? What happened after Lucca formed a contract with the dragon race?”

“Lucca’s life reached a turning point. After receiving a larva, she became appreciated by the village chief and was adopted by him.”

“Ch-eef…what is that?”

The young Eco didn’t seem to be familiar with that word yet.

“Well, the chief is like the king of the Ecbald Autonomous Region. But the chief isn’t the same as a king as the role isn’t hereditary.”

“Oh…”

“In other words, the girl who was originally just a mere servant in the Henriksen household became something like a princess overnight.”

“Don’t you think that evoked some complicated feelings for Kiira?”

Ash nodded firmly.

“I think so. Lucca said that Kiira acted cold and hostile towards her afterwards that. Moreover, she suddenly became interested in narcotics…eventually, she even stole the strictly controlled forbidden book of the Ecbald Tribe — [Encyclopedia of Narcotics] and then left their hometown…”

Supposedly, Kiira Brava Henriksen was still listed as a wanted criminal in the Ecbald Autonomous Region. If Kiira had also received a larva back then—. Or if both Kiira and Lucca had failed in the selection—. Perhaps the friendship between the two of them wouldn’t have been torn apart like that.

“It’s a really sad story and the Mother Dragon probably didn’t intend to destroy their friendship…”

“Huh? What are you talking about!?”

Eco was suddenly infuriated, and Ash retreated in fright.

“If they were really friends, then even if Kiira lost in the selection process, she should have wished the best for Lucca!”

Ash felt as though he had been slapped with a wake-up call as soon as Eco sharply highlighted a key point.

“You’re right. Isn’t that what a friend should be like?”

Of interest now was what kind of motive Kiira Brava Henriksen intended to pursue. Uriel’s words briefly flashed across Ash’s mind.

—Just as I wanted a particular drug…Kiira also had a drug that she wanted to produce. And in order to make it, six hundred and sixty-six lives had to be sacrificed.

What kind of impact would the drug that was made at the expense of six hundred and sixty-six lives have on the world? Ash couldn’t even begin to imagine. Even so, there was just one thing that he could assert.

“Whether it’s for Lucca or Oscar — or even for Kiira, we have to prevent a tragedy from happening.”

Ash clenched his fists resolutely.

“…!”

Eco blushed as she stared at the side profile of Ash’s face. And then, she pressed her hand against her chest as if she was confirming the thump of her own heartbeat.

“…Eco? What’s wrong?”

Finding her behaviour inexplicably odd, Ash drew closer to examine Eco’s face, but—

“N-Nothing! It’s not like you were just a little handsome or anything…I don’t think that at all!”

Eco made her escape by diving into the bed, grabbing the blanket to pull it over her head.

“The Shackles of Convention ~A.S.B.~1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 3 – The Holy Forest ~Ecbald Autonomous Region~

Part 1

The next morning. The magic ship Escavaron took off as originally scheduled with its destination set for the Ecbald Autonomous Region. The weather was bright and sunny, warm enough that the fact that it was already winter seemed like a lie. The winds that blew felt smooth and refreshing. As a result, their journey benefited from the good weather and proceeded smoothly—. It was already afternoon by the time that the ‘Ecbald Forest’ entered the view of Ash and the others—.

Part 2

“Ooooooooooohhh!”

As soon as the Escavaron landed at the entrance to the forest, the dragons which had been resting in the hangar immediately jumped out and headed toward the forest. —Aside from the five Maestros, there was an Asia and a Hydra. The silhouettes of those dragons were instantly engulfed by the vast, magnificent forest. Generally speaking, dragons enjoyed forests with a sacred atmosphere. Naturally, as the Ecbald Forest was one of the <Three Forests>, it needed no explanation.

“It must’ve bored them to death having to stay inside the hangar during the whole flight. Let them go and enjoy a bit of freedom.”

Rebecca smiled as she watched the dragons pour out of the Escavaron.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Ash agreed, while Eco took a stretch beside him.

“Mmm, the air here smells so fresh! I also want to take a nap.”

Eco was probably tired of waiting and eager to enter the forest as soon as possible. The rounded corners of her young dragon horns seemed more lustrous than usual as they emitted a faint glow.

“Ash.”

Lucca stood in front of Ash.

“Leading the way…leave that to me.”

“Yeah, of course. Once we enter the forest, we’ll be relying on you, Lucca.”

Upon hearing those words from Ash, Lucca’s cheeks turned slightly red.

“Hmm~~~~~~~~~!!”

The gazes of Eco and the others were immediately affixed to Ash, causing him to break into a cold sweat. 

And so, Ash and the others ventured into the forest with Lucca as their leader. Since it might’ve seemed impolite for a large group of people to suddenly visit, the group entering the forest had already been decided beforehand. The first of those was Lucca, who was responsible for leading the way. As the representative of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, Ash. The descendant of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor family and Ash’s Pal, Eco. The Fourth Princess of the Knight Country and ambassador to the Escavaron, Silvia. Silvia’s attendant, Cosette. President of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy’s Student Council and skilled at negotiation, Rebecca. Lastly, the living shell of Oscar and her caregiver Celes. Because Oscar had lost the ability to walk on her own, she had to sit in a wheelchair and be pushed along by Celes.

Unfortunately, Mirabel decided to stay on board the ship. Although Ash had hoped that she would join them, and Mirabel herself held an interest in the Ecbald people who were distantly related to the ancient elves — there were still many unsolved mysteries about the magic ship Escavaron. Mirabel wished to conduct an analysis of the ship whilst it was parked and stationary.

Under Lucca’s guidance, Ash and his party continued their advance into the forest. The tree branches and their leaves formed a natural barrier, and the faint rays of sunlight that meandered through the gaps in the foliage almost seemed heavenly. Their destination was the chief’s residence in the Ecbald Autonomous Region.

“Hey, Lucca. What kind of person is the chief? I always had the impression that chief is someone to be feared…”

Ash directed his question at Lucca as she continued forward without looking back.

“He’s a strict but kind person. Everyone has respect for him.”

Although usually slow to react, Lucca answered the question without having to think. It seemed that the chief had the popular support of his people. Such a person might hold an important clue to the narcotic’s antidote.

“Huh…?”

Inadvertently, Ash noticed a curious sight. There were hut-like buildings scattered amongst the trees.

“What is that…?”

Lucca raised her head and looked at the tree which Ash was pointing to.

“It’s an Ecbald-style house. The Ecbald people are accustomed to living on trees.”

“Really? It’s the first time that I’ve heard of this.”

While Ash gazed at the treehouses as if he was a sightseer…

“—Uoooooooooooooooooooohhhh!”

A sudden, startling roar broke the tranquillity and invited noise into the forest. The forest began to stir as if it had a life of its own. The frightened wild birds all scattered in unison. Moreover, the sound of drums, flutes and harps began to play all around them.

“Wait! What’s happening?”

Ash couldn’t help but freeze on the spot out of surprise.

“Hey, it’s so loud!”

Eco’s body also trembled as she wrapped her arm around Ash’s tightly.

“Hwah! C-Could it be…a super-ancient vengeful spirit!?”

Silvia’s face turned pale as she held onto Cosette with a tightening embrace.

“Oh my, it’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

As expected from Cosette, she remained as calm as water even in an abnormal situation, and she simply gave Silvia gentle back rubs. In fact, Ash found it hard to even imagine what Cosette’s face would look like if she was afraid.

“………”

Rebecca and Celes stood by Oscar’s wheelchair, guarding her and keeping a careful watch of their surroundings.

“—Chief Lars’ daughter, Lucca, has returned!”

A shout came from afar.

“Lucca, could that be someone you know?”

Ash nervously asked.

“It’s a normal occurrence…”

Lucca blushed as she lowered her head in embarrassment. At that moment…

“Lucca! It’s not winter vacation yet, so why are you home?”

A majestic voice resounded loudly through the forest. After a while, accompanied by low-pitched footsteps that seemed to shake the entire forest, a single Dragonar appeared from its depths. It was an intrepid Ecbald man who looked to be roughly forty-five years old. He was tall and muscular in build. He was dressed in native Ecbald-style clothing with a flaxen brown colour tone. He also wore exotic ornaments such as necklaces and bracelets. The man seemed to exude a rugged and wild nature which was rather different from the stereotypical image of Ecbald people. His skin was tanned a healthy wheat colour which seemed completely disparate from the delicate image of a fairy. However, the most unusual thing was his unique riding style — he sat cross-legged on the Maestro’s head. If the students of the Dragon Riding Academy were to imitate him, they would surely be scolded by the instructors for being ‘improper’. After taking a glance at Ash, the man loudly declared his name.

“I am Lars Nordenskiöld Sarlinen! Chief of the Ecbald Autonomous Region!”

Part 3

The chief’s residence was located deep within the forest.

“It’s incredible…”

Ash gazed up in amazement. Before his eyes was a plant that seemed to have come out of a fairy tale — a super gigantic broad-leaved tree. Moreover, a traditional Ecbald-style building sat on the tree. The house might’ve been repeatedly rebuilt to stay in line with the tree’s growth, so its appearance was rather complex and strange. It looked like a combination of several wooden buildings. Lars skilfully leapt down from his Pal’s head and landed at the front door of the tree. However, Ash and the others were unable to follow suit. Lars considerately lowered a rope ladder for them to use.

“You guys can climb up with this.”

Ash grabbed the end of the rope ladder and turned around to look behind him.

“Umm, who’d like to go first? I don’t mind going last.”

Originally, Ash’s only intention was to abide by the spirit of chivalry and show courtesy towards women, but his intentions were misunderstood.

“Hey, Ash. Do you really want to…peek at our underwear that badly?”

Silvia was the first to retort with trembling clenched fists. It was only then that Ash noticed — indeed, all of the ladies wore skirts today.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t notice! I’ll go up first then.”

“Of course you will!”

Ash eagerly climbed up the ladder as if he was deliberately avoiding any opportunity for Silvia to scold him further. Once Ash had climbed up the tree, Eco, Silvia, Rebecca, Cosette and Lucca followed in that order. Celes and Oscar were last.

“Are you okay, Celes?”

“Don’t underestimate me! I don’t need your help!”

After stubbornly refusing to accept any help, Celes picked up Oscar who was in a dress. However, the rope ladder was a shaky tool to begin with, making it even more difficult for Celes to get up whilst carrying another person. However, if she tried to concentrate on climbing up the ladder, Oscar would fall off if she wasn’t careful.

“—Nngh.”

At that moment, the Maestro which had been dozing off under the tree — Lars’ Pal slowly stood up.

“Huh? W-Wait a minute…!”

Celes was taken aback as she clamoured in confusion. Ignoring her cries, the Maestro extended its forelimbs. It used its forelimbs to support Celes and Oscar, gently lifting the two of them up. In the blink of an eye, Celes and Oscar had been escorted to the entrance of the chief’s residence. Moreover, the Maestro also cleverly picked up Oscar’s wheelchair and elevated it up to the entrance.

“T-Thank you…”

With a dazed expression, Celes thanked it.

“Fuuun.”

After responding in a sleepy tone, the Maestro returned to its peaceful slumber.

Part 4

Following the guidance of a maid, Ash and the others arrived at the drawing room. The style of the drawing room was unique in that guests could sit directly on the floor. An incense burner mounted on the wall filled the room with the scent of cedar trees. The most surprising thing was how spacious the room was, making it especially unbelievable that this structure had been built atop a tree.

“—Apologies for the wait.”

After a while, Lars appeared in the drawing room. He dauntlessly sat down cross-legged and then glanced around at everyone.

“H-Honoured to meet you. I am Ash Blake…”

Although slightly intimidated by Lars’ intrepid demeanour, Ash still declared his name.

“Oh, so you’re Ash Blake-dono? I’ve heard tales of your deeds. You defended Fontaine City together with your Pal Eco, and shortly after that, you declared an independent country with the magical ship Escavaron as territory. You snubbed that Prince Uriel off, didn’t you?”

“You know about all of that?”

“Of course. The Knight Country’s government has had a long history with the Ecbald Autonomous Region. News like that reaches me very quickly. It’s just…I never imagined even Lucca would be on board the Escavaron…”

After saying that, Lars stared straight at Ash. At this point, Ash realised something of significance — was Lucca’s identity similar to that of Silvia? An Ecbald princess?

“In having your dear daughter join our campaign…does that present a problem?”

Ash quivered as he inquired.

“No, I don’t mind.”

Ash was surprised by Lars’ unexpectedly swift and outspoken expression of approval.

“Lucca personally told me about the selective training camp. Thanks to your help, Lucca was able to ride Gawain again, and she was even successful in performing a Dragon Riding Dance. As her father, I will not forget your act of kindness, Ash-dono.”

“P-Please raise your head!”

The unexpected development had already been enough to make Ash panic, but the words that Lars uttered after lifting his head were even more astonishing.

“You truly are a gentle person, Ash-dono. I see, it’s no wonder that Lucca is so attracted to you. Hahaha!”

“F-Father…!”

Lucca’s face reddened as she attempted to stop her father, but Lars simply laughed. Unlike the Paladin Oswald, her father seemed rather open-minded and tolerant of his daughter’s romance. Soon, a serious expression returned to Lars’ face and he gazed at Eco.

“The girl with dragon horns on her head…I see, so you’re the young dragon Eco? No, perhaps it’d be more correct to call you Holy Dragon Emperor Eco-dono?”

“T-There’s no need, you can just call me Eco like normal…”

Eco shyly lowered her head. The next person that Lars focused on was Silvia.

“And you are…Your Highness Silvia?”

“Yes. Long time no see, Lars-dono.”

Silvia revealed an invigorating smile. It appeared that she knew Lars. As the chief of the Ecbald tribe, Lars certainly would’ve had many opportunities to visit Fontaine Palace.

“Haha. I barely recognised you in that school uniform, Your Highness. Getting down to business, since you’ve personally come to visit…I presume that you must have encountered some rather daunting problems on your journey.”

After saying that, Lars directed a sharp glance at Oscar. Oscar sat in a wheelchair behind Ash and the others unnervingly like a porcelain doll. Ash sat up straight as he decided to explain what had happened thus far.

“The thing is, we’re actually looking for a way to cure Oscar—” 

After listening to Ash’s explanation, Lars walked over to Oscar’s side and began to observe her for a while.

“…Hmm. These are extremely rare symptoms.”

Eventually, Lars sighed as he made a grave expression.

“The narcotic <Galatea> huh…I’ve only read about it in a book, so this is the first time that I’m seeing it with my own eyes.”

“Do you have any way of producing an antidote? If there are any herbs that you need, we can go and forage for them. No matter how dangerous the location might be, we’ll take the Escavaron to go in search of it.”

Lars shook his head as he rejected Ash’s plea.

“It’s impossible, Ash. I think you should already be aware that narcotics are taboo elixirs made by sacrificing human lives. Even if there was an antidote, it would also have to be made at the expense of precious lives.”

“That can’t…!”

Upon learning of this hellish truth, Ash clenched his fists and trembled.

“…If what you say is true…even if we capture Kiira and force her to reveal information on the antidote — we won’t be able to synthesise it. Regardless of the situation, human lives aren’t to be trifled with.”

Ash sombrely nodded as he expressed his agreement with Rebecca.

“Of course. It’s just that…it means we have to abandon hope of finding an antidote and seek an alternative way of saving Oscar…. Kuh, what are we supposed to do now?”

At this rate, the outcome would be far more complicated than just being unable to save Oscar. Once a civil war broke out in the Chevron Kingdom, there was potential for the entire continent to be plunged into chaos, let alone the Kingdom itself.

“Damn it…we came all the way here already. Why is this happening…”

Celes murmured in a regretful tone as she clenched her teeth. Tears streamed down her right cheek as she knelt on the ground in frustration. Everyone present was silenced by the cruelty of the situation and a murky atmosphere filled the drawing room.

“—No. It’s not as if there’s no alternatives at all, Ash-dono.”

Lars’ words broke the heavy silence.

“Is that true!?”

Ash eagerly leaned forward. Like someone backed into a corner, he looked into Lars’ sharp eyes with hope.

“It would be the Zeroth Dragon Riding Dance — ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. It is the secret technique of the Dragon Riding Dance.”

Ash was shocked. He had heard Lucca mention the name of that dance before. However, Lucca didn’t seem to be familiar with its effect.

“Does this mean that the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ can activate healing magic?”

Ash sought confirmation while he suppressed his overflowing emotions.

“It might be possible, but it might also not be possible.”

“…Huh?”

“Strictly speaking, this dance is more like a religious ritual. However, once performed successfully, it might bring about a miracle.”

“Chief, I have to say that this method you’ve described is overly vague…”

Following Silvia’s question, Lars made a troubled expression.

“I do apologise, Your Highness. However, I cannot make any guarantees. After all, the last time that a performance of the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ succeeded was seven hundred years ago…”

“It’s been that long?”

Ash was stunned.

“Indeed. Are you aware that Lucca’s biological parents passed away due to a pandemic?”

“…Yes, I heard.”

Ash nodded with a solemn expression.

“Since ancient times, the Ecbald Autonomous Region has suffered from an influenza outbreak every few hundred years. Even though our people are skilled in herbal medicine, we’re powerless against pandemics of this kind. According to historical records, an infectious disease which broke out seven hundred years ago was the worst in history…it was so deadly that it almost wiped out the Ecbald tribe altogether.”

“Wiped out…”

Ash nervously gulped.

“At that time, in order to save the people who were caught in dire straits, the Dragonars of the Ecbald tribe came forward. The Dragonars bravely attempted the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’, and at last they succeeded. And so, a miracle occurred. The patients who were once on the brink of death recovered one after another, the Ecbald people survived a crisis that threatened the extinction of their kind, and they have survived to this day.”

“In that case, if Lucca can successfully perform the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’, there’s a chance that our wish may come true, and Oscar can be cured…?”

“It’s not as simple as that, Ash. As the name of ‘Twin-Winged’ suggests, the zeroth dance requires two Dragonars for successful execution.”

Ash recalled his conversation with Lucca from last night. It was once Kiira’s dream to perform the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with Lucca….

“Then, could we please ask you to partner with Lucca—”

Ash held onto a glimmer of hope as he gazed at Lars. At present, the only Dragonars of the Ecbald tribe were Lars and Lucca. In order for the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ to succeed, they had no choice but to pin their hopes upon those two.

“…I’m deeply sorry, Ash-dono.”

“What! Why!?”

Ash was so emotionally shocked by Lars’ rejection that he almost jumped up.

“Stay calm, Ash.”

Silvia placed her hand on Ash’s shoulder.

“Lars-dono may appear to be youthful in appearance, but he is in fact, quite old. And it also seems that his Pal, Maestro Rosberg, is too old to fly at high speed now…”

“Huh!?”

As embarrassment caused his face to turn red, Ash’s gaze wandered back and forth between Lars and Silvia. No matter how he saw it, Ash thought that Lars was in his forties. He certainly appeared to be in the prime of his life….

“Her Highness Silvia is correct. After all, I’ve been alive for a century and a half. Needless to say, I also participated in the Xenoglavia War.”

“I can’t believe it…”

Eco was also considerably surprised by this. She stared intently at Lars’ face.

“Although not as exaggerated as the extinct elves, the Ecbald people are already a long-lived race when compared to ordinary humans. The average lifespan of our race is around two hundred years, and the rate of our aging is also very slow. Ash-dono, to give an example, when you turn fifty, Lucca will probably have her coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Hmm, I didn’t see this coming…”

Silvia let out a grumble. It seemed the revelation of Lucca’s long lifespan had aroused a sense of crisis for her as a woman.

“In terms of a woman’s weapons, slow aging is almost foul play.”

Surprisingly, even Rebecca’s expression became serious.

“Hey, Eco! Don’t you think so as well?”

Silvia whispered into Eco’s ear. Although her voice was quiet, it still reached Ash’s ears.

“Huh? I may look like a human female, but I’m a dragon, so I don’t think I’ll age immediately? Besides, I’m still a young dragon, so I don’t have to rush.”

Eco put deliberate emphasis on the word ‘immediately’.

“Kuh! That’s way too…!”

Leaving aside Silvia who was somewhat depressed, Ash asked Lars,

“Chief. Based on what you’ve said, doesn’t this mean that the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ won’t work either? I’ve heard that only Ecbald Dragonars possess the necessary inclination to perform a Dragon Riding Dance.”

“That would be the case, normally speaking. However, as long as you have this ring…even an ordinary human may be able to take the place of an Ecbald person.”

With a serious expression, Lars removed the ring that he wore on the little finger of his right hand.

“I will entrust you this ring.”

Ash was at a loss for words, but he accepted the ring anyway. It was a silver work of art with exquisite engravings on both sides. A large gemstone was set on top of the ring. The gemstone was an exquisite emerald that seemed to symbolise the breath of the forest itself.

“Father. Doesn’t that ring serve as proof of the chief…”

Lucca interjected from the side with a worried expression, but Lars stopped her from saying anymore with a stern look on his face.

“That doesn’t matter. The ring may indeed be a treasure that’s been handed down to the leader of each generation since ancient times, but it’s a cheap price to pay in return for Ash’s grace. Besides, I’m still the chief whether I have the ring or not, and that won’t change. I believe that the residents of the forest will also understand.”

 “…Yes.”

After seeing Lucca nod to express her understanding, Lars focused his eyes on Ash.

“Try it on.”

“Alright.”

Although slightly puzzled, Ash slid the ring onto his finger. While the ring was originally worn on Lars’ little finger, it was just the right fit for the index finger on Ash’s left hand given their difference in build. Ash suddenly felt a burning sensation as if his entire body had been set alight.

“Uwah! What is this…?”

Ash hurriedly looked down at his body. The sensation wasn’t painful or unpleasant. On the contrary, it felt as though his blood surged with passion and excitement. The <Seikoku> on his left arm also reacted to the ring, glowing radiantly and emitting heat. It felt as thought a connection had formed between the ring and his <Seikoku>.

“Listen closely, Ash. That gemstone is a magic crystal refined by the elves in the distant past. In other words, you could regard it as the elven version of a Bright Dragon Crystal. It is a unique crystal, as it is the only one in the world left by the purebred elves.

“You’re giving me something that precious!? Is that really okay?”

“When you put that ring on, you can gain the same attributes as an Ecbald person.”

“So, you mean that I can also perform a Dragon Riding Dance? Thank you, chief!”

Despite Ash’s cheerful demeanour, Lars maintained a firm expression.

“I’m not sure if you’re just jolly or brave…but if a Dragon Riding Dance fails, there’s a chance that you may die. Moreover, you’re now the Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. As someone in a position of power, you cannot sacrifice your life so easily. It would also be feasible to find another suitable partner for Lucca.”

The words carried more weight because Lars himself was chief of the Ecbald tribe.

“No, it’s precisely because I’m the commander that I can’t allow anyone else to do it.”

Even so, Ash remained resolute in his determination.

“Well said, Ash!”

Upon hearing that, Eco immediately lauded him.

“Mmhmm, that’s certainly just like Ash.”

“You’re acting more and more like a leader.”

Silvia and Rebecca generously praised him. However, Lars solemnly confessed to everyone,

“This introduces a problem though. When Eco becomes the Holy Dragon Emperor…I’m afraid that it will be difficult to synchronise with Gawain due to the large difference in their body size. Ash, I’ve heard that you’re a genius dragon tamer, is that right…?”

“Yes, I can ride all dragons.”

“If that’s the case, it’d be better if you choose a Maestro that’s physically balanced to partner with Gawain.”

“I understand. Speaking of a Maestro with a similar build to Gawain…I guess Lancelot?”

“Hmm. There shouldn’t be any problems if it’s with Lancelot — Your Highness Silvia, is that okay with you?”

“Of course.”

As soon as Silvia, Eco suddenly interjected,

“Wait a minute! If you’re going to ride Lancelot, then it means that Lancelot will also feel ‘that sensation’…and I won’t approve of that!”

“That sensation? Eco, what are you talking about…?”

Ash tilted his head in confusion.

What is Eco going on about?

“I-It’s nothing!”

For some reason, Eco blushed and lowered her head.

Is she just jealous that I’ll have to ride another dragon this time?

Although Ash couldn’t pinpoint a reason for her behaviour, he decided to focus on the Dragon Riding Dance instead.

“By the way, chief. I still had a question for you.”

“What would that be, Ash-dono?”

“What kind of trajectory is drawn in the sky for this so-called ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’?”

Ash began to feel nervous as the chief became silent and didn’t answer for a while.

“…Good question. Rather than try to explain, I think it’ll be quicker if you see it for yourself once.”

Lars slowly stood up as he said with a solemn expression,

“I will guide all of you to [The Shrine of Jylha]—”

“The Head of Ecbald ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 4 – The Elves’ Great Secret

Part 1

Riding the Maestro Rosberg, Lars lead Ash and his party to the western part of the forest. Lucca and Gawain followed closely behind Rosberg. Silvia and Lancelot followed behind them, with Ash and Eco also riding on top. At the back of the pack were Rebecca and Cú Chulainn. Lastly, Celes and Cosette remained at the chief’s residence to look after Oscar. 

After advancing through the forest for a fair while, their view suddenly widened into an open space. The surrounding environment changed from the dimly lit forest to a landscape that was drenched in sunlight.

“Whew.”

 Ash couldn’t help but hold his hand in front of his eyes as he momentarily struggled to adapt to the harsh sunlight.

“It’s so beautiful…!”

Eco said as her red eyes shone in admiration. A dazzling lake lay before them. It was as if a blue mirror had appeared in the depths of the forest. Everything around them was silent and calm, as if it were a hidden location that had been forgotten by the ebb and flow of time. Just looking at the reflective colour of the lake soothed and gave comfort to Ash.

“That is…?”

Ash suddenly noticed a man-made building that stood by the shore of the lake. It was an incredible structure that had no roof nor walls. The stone pillars which were erected there appeared as if they were surrounding something. Upon each of the pillars were fine and delicately engraved arabesque patterns.

“Mmm. That is the legacy of the extinct elves – The Shrine of Jylhä.”

After Lars answered with a stern expression, Rosberg stopped at the entrance to the shrine.

“The legacy of the elves…huh?”

Ash gazed at the shrine as he imagined what the ancient past might’ve been like.

“—Welcome to The Shrine of Jylhä.”

A graceful figure abruptly emerged from amongst the crowd of pillars. It was an Ecbald girl with a soft expression and vivid appearance. The clothing that the girl wore was most like a priestess’ outfit. Standing amongst the surrounds of nature in the Ecbald Autonomous Region, her long, pure white gown vibrantly stood out.

“I am the head priestess, Frederica.”

Ash was surprised to learn that she was the head priestess. Given that she only appeared to be in her teens, Ash found it difficult to connect her appearance with the sacred and solemn role of a head priestess in his mind. Though, he had just heard from the chief that the Ecbald tribe were all quite long-lived. Thus, Frederica’s actual age was probably older than what she appeared to be.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ash Blake…”

Ash hurriedly hopped down from Lancelot to extend his greeting.

“Frederica, so—…” 

“I understand the situation. Now, please come over here—”

After listening to Lars’ explanation, Frederica quietly turned around and led the group of visitors into the temple.

Part 2

“This is the trajectory illustration of the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’!?”

An enormously imposing and stately rock enshrined within the temple captivated Ash’s gaze. The surface of the rock was engraved with a crest that seemed to resemble the insignia of a royal family. If Ash wasn’t in the position of a challenger, perhaps he would’ve been fascinated by the beautiful emblem out of pure appreciation for its art—.

“This is insane…”

Just looking at it almost drove Ash mad. Based on the depiction, it was probably fine to regard it as a pair of wings. However, the picture was so detailed that it was terrifying. It meant that a challenger would have to bring every single feather to life. Just memorising the complete trajectory was a difficult task in itself. Moreover, Dragon Riding Dances were focused on both speed and accuracy, and its challengers weren’t given any allowance to slowly trace out that route. All that considered, this was not the time to shy away because the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ was the only way to save Oscar. After reinforcing his motivation, Ash turned to Lucca.

“We don’t have time to waste, so let’s start training today.”

“Yes.”

Lucca clenched both fists in front of her chest as she nodded in agreement. Lars then revealed a serious expression as he exchanged glances with Ash and Lucca.

“If you’re going to perform the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’, it’s best to do so on a night with a full moon. Moonlight is capable of enhancing the effects of a Dragon Riding Dance.”

“A full moon…huh. In that case…kuh…”

“The next full moon will be in around ten days. If you miss that, you’ll have to wait another month or so. If you delay it for that long, the Chevron Kingdom may already have erupted in flames.”

Rebecca explained, noticing that Ash didn’t seem to remember the length of time between each of the moon phases.

“In ten days…!”

Ash broke into a sweat upon realising the time pressure on them. As if to break the silence, Frederica solemnly said,

“According to the ancient books in this shrine, the most important thing for the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ is the relationship between the two Dragonars. The challenging Dragonars must care for each other, be kind to each other, and deeply understand each other. There’s a common saying in the East called ‘A-un Breathing’, and that is the state you two should strive towards.

“A-un…”

Although it sounded unfamiliar, Ash felt an inexplicable affection for the word.

“In order to cultivate mutual understanding between the two of you, I think the best way would be…for Lucca-ojousama and Ash-dono to live together in the <Inner Sanctuary> of this shrine for the next ten days.”

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh!”

In contrast to Frederica’s calm demeanour, Ash and the others all screamed in unison. Amongst them, the loudest voices belonged to Eco and Silvia.

“Is there something to be surprised about?”

Frederica tilted her head in confusion, though continued nonetheless,

“The two of you will breathe the same air, eat the same food, and spend the same time together. If you’re able to establish a mutual relationship in which you can understand each other without even speaking, you’ll naturally be able to complete the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’.”

“I understand. But…what kind of place is the The Shrine of Jylhä’s <Inner Sanctuary>?”

Ash asked Frederica as he glanced around at the inside of the shrine. As he gazed around, all he could see was an altar inside. There didn’t seem to be a door that led to an <Inner Sanctuary> anywhere. In the first place, how could the interior of a temple possibly be any good for Dragon Riding training? 

“It’s normal for you to feel confused. After all, the <Inner Sanctuary> of this shrine is not a physical room. It is a special space constructed by the ancient elves using all of their magical powers. Its official name in the ancient language is <Espace Elfiore>.”

After listening to Frederica’s explanation, Ash began to understand.

“That’s fine with me. What about you, Lucca?”

“Yes, no problem.”

As if she had the utmost faith in Ash, Lucca nodded and agreed without hesitation. The next instant—

“Hold on!”

“I object!”

Eco and Silvia raised their eyebrows as they interrupted in protest. Even Rebecca stepped forward to express her opinion.

“I can’t say that I’m impressed about a young man and woman spending ten days alone in a closed room. As the Student Council President of Ansarivan Academy, I can’t overlook this kind of thing.”

Ash was shocked to hear even Rebecca’s opposition. It wasn’t so surprising for Eco and Silvia to object, though Rebecca’s shared sentiment with them was unexpected…

“I-In that case, why don’t we settle for a compromise? In order to avoid a situation where Lucca and I will be alone, we can have someone else join us…”

“That won’t do. Only the Dragonars attempting the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ have the right to enter the <Inner Sanctuary>. As the head priestess, I cannot abide anyone breaking the rules.”

Frederica rejected Ash’s proposed compromise without hesitation.

“Haah…I guess there’s no choice but to accept. But…Ash, if you dare lay a hand on Lucca, you’re going to be in for some serious consequences, you know?”

“I agree with Eco! Moreover, if you take into account the lifespan of an Ecbald person, the fourteen-year-old Lucca is almost equivalent to a seven-year-old human! If you dare lay a hand on her, that’s a crime!”

“I-I know!”

Seeing both Eco and Silvia act so aggressively, Ash couldn’t help but retreat.

“I trust that you will act like a gentleman.”

“Of course, Rebecca-san!”

Although Rebecca’s tone seemed calm on the surface, it gave Ash an inexplicable sense of pressure deep in his gut. When the <Scarlett Empress> had such lofty expectations for him, he couldn’t afford to disappoint.

“Well, it seems like things have settled down. Frederica, please open the door to the <Inner Sanctuary> for these two Dragonars.”

Urged Lars, who had watched the situation develop with a wry smile across his face.

“Very well.”

Frederica nodded and began to recite a chant.

“Jylhä Aalto Kronvar Somersalmi…”

Soon, the stone floor in front of the altar began to transform.

—Doooooooon…

Accompanied by the sound of shifting earth, a section of the floor began to glow. A magic circle similar to a <Seikoku> appeared on the stone floor. No, the magic circle appeared more complex than an ordinary <Seikoku>. It was probably a rather high-level magic ritual.

“This is a magical teleporter. Ash-dono and Lucca-ojousama, please come over here with the dragons—”

Following Frederica’s instructions, Ash and Lucca respectively mounted Lancelot and Gawain, and then moved on top of the magic circle. The area that the magic circle covered was vast enough that even two Maestros standing upon it side-by-side left ample room.

“I’ll start the teleportation now—”

Frederica declared, and with that, a dazzling burst of radiance instantly enveloped both Ash and Lucca.

Part 3

Their field of vision faded into a vast expanse of white, and their bodies amazingly seemed to float in mid-air. After a while—

“This is the <Inner Sanctuary>?”

Ash was dumbfounded the instant that he opened his eyes.

“It’s also my first time here.”

Likewise, Lucca turned her head as she continuously looked around. Surrounding the two of them was an endless expanse of natural scenery. The dazzling sun hung high in a corner of the azure sky. Contrary to the outside world where winter was approaching, the climate of the <Inner Sanctuary> was warm and comfortable to the point that it felt hot when wearing a coat. Before them was a vast verdant grassland upon which a large slate of rock was situated — it looked exactly the same as the one that was enshrined on the altar. There was also a small glimmering lake beyond it. A small wooden cottage stood by the shore of the lake. It was probably a place exclusively intended for the challengers to live.

“Ooooooooh…!”

Lancelot and Gawain both let out energetic roars. They looked excited and impatient to soar into the sky.

“Hey, stop!”

Ash hurriedly pulled on the reins to keep Lancelot grounded.

“Stop!”

Lucca also stroked the back of Gawain’s neck before it finally settled down. It seemed that this place was a rather comfortable location for the dragon species.

“I can’t believe that such a vast space was constructed with magic…”

The scene before his eyes caused Ash to reaffirm the greatness of the elven race that had existed in ancient times.

[—It appears that both of you have safely arrived in <Espace Elfiore>.]

At that moment, a solemn voice resounded through Ash’s mind. He was not overly surprised though, given that he had experienced telepathic dialogue with both Navi and Racquel IV.

“Is that you, Frederica-san?”

[I apologise for using telepathy to communicate with you. How is the situation on that side?]

“Hmm. Although I’m a bit surprised by the surroundings here…there aren’t any major problems to speak of.”

[Then, I’ll make preparations for the magic ritual first — this is so the teleportation magic will activate ten days from now. After all, teleportation magic isn’t something that can simply be activated at will…]

Hearing the slight stutters in Frederica’s words, Ash understood what she meant.

“I understand. So, we’ll be staying here for the next ten days.”

[I’m pleased that you understand, Ash-dono. By the way, there are reserves of wheat flour and spices, but you two will have to be self-sufficient for any other food.]

The surprising words left Ash dumbfounded.

“What? When you say that we’ll need to be self-sufficient, what…”

[You’ll need to hunt small animals, catch fish, pick nuts and wild plants…there are many ways. The <Inner Sanctuary> also faithfully reflects the relationships in the ecological food chain, so you don’t have to worry about a lack of food.]

“Seriously!?”

Ash almost fell off Lancelot’s saddle.

[Ash-dono, you might feel unaccustomed to such a lifestyle, but it shouldn’t be an issue given that Lucca-ojousama was born and raised in the forest.]

“Yes, I’m used to it.”

Lucca nodded as she affirmed Frederica’s presumption. It appeared as though any issues regarding their livelihood would be best handled by Lucca.

[Lastly, I have a message for you from the Chief. “Focus on your training. Try not to get hurt.” —That is all.]

“Thank you. Please give our regards to the Chief.”

After saying that, their communication channel with Frederica ended.

Part 4

For safety reasons, they normally would’ve changed into their Dragsuits, but neither of them had expected the situation to evolve in this way, and so neither had brought their Dragsuits. They simply had to start training in their uniforms.

“Instructor, could you please give me some tips on how to perform a Dragon Riding Dance first?”

Ash jokingly asked.

“C-Calling me ‘Instructor’ is too…”

Lucca felt so embarrassed that she buried her face into Gawain’s face.

“Uuh…”

“I’m sorry, really. I didn’t mean to tease you or anything.”

Ash couldn’t help but smile upon seeing how Lucca’s shy reaction was much more pronounced than he had expected.

“In actuality, you are quite experienced when it comes to Dragon Riding Dances.”

“That’s true…”

“So regardless of whether it’s some mental concept, or tips on what to pay attention to, I hope you’ll be able to give me some pointers.”

Lucca finally lifted her face.

“I’m not going at giving verbal explanations. It should be faster with actual experience…”

Ash made a wry smile.

“Then, could I trouble you for a ride on Gawain? I haven’t ridden a dragon with you since the Selective Training Camp.”

“Yes. I only started to notice you because of that time…”

Lucca’s elven ears were dyed the colour of roses and seemed so hot that they could emit heat.

“I-I see.”

Not expecting Lucca to make such a statement, Ash also blushed in turn. Lucca looked much cuter than usual on this particular day. Moreover, the two of them also happened to be the only people around. Within <Espace Elfiore>, there was no concern that anyone could interrupt whatever was going on…. Just as Ash worried over such things, Lucca leaned toward him from Gawain’s back.

“…Ash? You’re not thinking about anything dirty, are you?”

The distance between their faces almost startled Ash. Her amethyst-like eyes glistened with a watery reflection.

“Uwah! I wasn’t thinking about that!”

“I don’t mind…”

“Lucca!?”

“N-Nothing! Please forget what I just said…”

Lucca buried her face in the fur of Gawain’s back again. 

After Lucca finally calmed down, Ash straddled onto Gawain’s back.

“Hold on tight.”

“Got it.”

“Heeding Lucca’s warning, Ash decided to hug her firmly from behind. Her waist was very slender, much like that of a glass doll. Lucca’s body warmth was faintly transmitted to Ash through the contact of their bodies. If they were wearing their Dragsuits, then perhaps Ash’s mind wouldn’t be so distracted by Lucca’s body given that a layer of hard armour would separate them…. Suddenly, Ash’s nose picked up a herbal fragrance. It was different from the usual fruity scent that most female students had. However, Ash thought that this scent was very fitting for Lucca.

“Then, let’s start off by tracing out ‘one wing’.”

Upon hearing Lucca’s voice, Ash’s consciousness was brought back to reality.

“Got it — wait, you’ve already memorised the trajectory for ‘one wing’?”

A surprised expression formed across Ash’s face as Lucca lightly nodded to confirm the fact.

“After seeing the slate just then…I’ve memorised most of it.”

“That’s incredible.”

Ash was once again in marvel of Lucca’s talent. She had memorised an extremely complex trajectory in such a short span of time. It was no exaggeration to describe her talent as sheer brilliance.

“Let’s do some warmup exercises first.”

Gawain let loose a roar in response to Lucca’s intentions. Its enormous body gradually accumulated magical energy. It then spread its wings and took flight. With the wind against their faces, both of them moved farther and farther away from the ground. Ash focused his mind as he hugged on tightly to Lucca’s waist.

—Come on, I have to learn all of this!

After a while, with their warmup exercises done, Gawain paused and hovered motionlessly in mid-air.

“‘One Wing’…commence.”

Just as Lucca murmured that to herself, Gawain began to move.

—Zooo!

A gust of wind whistled into his ears.

“Kuh!”

Ash clenched his teeth. He had experienced a dance during the Selective Training Camp — [The Amrita of Purification]. That one was certainly magnificent in its own right, but it just couldn’t be compared to this one. In addition to their flight speed, the centrifugal force generated by each turn was on a different level.

“Wait…this is too much!”

“The show is just getting started.”

“Huh, seriously!?”

“Don’t speak or you’ll bite your tongue!”

It was rare for Lucca to voice such stern criticism, so Ash quickly shut his mouth. Their speed instantly increased, and they continued to gain altitude as well. At some point, their distance from the ground had reached the point where they had a panoramic view of the entire lake. The air around them grew colder and thinner.

—H-Hold on! Just how high are we going to fly!?

Just as Ash thought so, they took a sudden turn and dive. Gawain completely stopped using magic and began to free fall. From Ash’s perspective, this was no different from an uncontrolled crash. The ground’s surface seemed to approach them at a terrifying speed. 

—We’ll die…if this goes on, we’re definitely going to die!

Just as they were about to crash into the ground, Gawain forcefully unleashed its magical energy. While an enormous crater was generated on the ground, Gawain swiftly began its ascent again. Ash breathed a sigh of relief. However — Ash immediately realised that this flight was no different than a death-defying act, and that this was just the overture of the oratorio. It was truly an experience in all directions. Lucca and Gawain danced to their heart’s content, as if to exemplify that the essence of a Dragon Riding Dance was just beginning to unfold. The sky-spiralling performance continued without rest. Ash could feel the blood gradually draining from his face. The next moment, his vision suddenly faded to black.

“Huh!?”

Ash was in a state of momentary shock. Even though his eyes were wide open, he couldn’t see a thing at all.

“No way! Why…uwaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

Whether it was on a physical level or a mental level, Ash was on the verge of collapse. Just as Ash screamed, he was thrown off from Gawain’s back. His body floated lightly through the air, much like a projectile fired from a crossbow.

“—Ash!?”

After hearing Lucca’s cry, his consciousness drifted away.

Part 5

“Ngh…”

The instant that Ash opened his eyelids ever so slightly—

“Ash!? Ash!”

Lucca’s tearful face smothered the entirety of Ash’s blurred vision. There was a sort of soft sensation against the back of his head. It was then that Ash realised he had been asleep on Lucca’s lap.

“Am I…still alive?”

It appeared that his body was fine. Ash still vividly remembered what had happened just before losing consciousness. He was thrown into the air because the grip strength in his arms had faltered. Lucca had probably noticed just in time and ordered Gawain to turn back to help. If not for Lucca’s prompt realisation, Ash probably would’ve plummeted to the ground — sharing the same fate as a smashed piece of fruit. Ash couldn’t help but shudder as soon as the thought entered his mind. Although he still felt chills run down his spine, he tried to get up nonetheless.

“Don’t force yourself!”

Unexpectedly, Lucca firmly held Ash’s head down. The sensation of her soft yet elastic thighs put Ash in a daze. Inadvertently, Ash also took notice of another icy sensation. There was actually a wet towel on his forehead. Although Ash was grateful for Lucca’s kindness, this wasn’t the time to relish it.

“There’s something I’m curious about. Before I lost consciousness, why did my vision go completely dark…?”

“That’s a blackout. I’ve also had that experience.”

“Blackout…”

Ash was also familiar with the term. When he first joined Dragonar Academy, the instructor on Strada riding technique had explained it. When there was tremendous pressure on the Dragonar, it could result in brain anaemia as blood was concentrated in the lower body. It would result in symptoms such as darkening vision and breathing difficulties. Moreover, the condition induced by pressure in the opposite direction was known as redout. As suggested by the name, one’s vision would be tinged red because blood was concentrated in the blood vessels of the eye. Ash nervously gulped. What lay ahead was more training for the Dragon Riding Dance — that was bound to be accompanied by the risk of blackout and redout.

“I didn’t think I’d face such a setback as soon as we started training…”

Ash couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh. However, he would not be able to move forward by pitying himself. His most immediate goal was to get used to the speed and strong centrifugal forces of Dragon Riding Dances.

“Lucca, it looks like you’ll have to bear with me for a while…will you still accompany me?”

“Yes, gladly.”

Upon seeing Ash’s extended hand, Lucca faintly nodded as she outstretched her own to clasp his.

“The Shrine of Jylhä ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 5 – Routine Daily Life and the Omen in its Shadow

Part 1

Two days had passed since Ash and Lucca began their training.

“Muu~”

Eating a crepe upon the deck of the magical ship Escavaron, Eco whined despondently like a sullen creature.

“La la~”

Cosette’s mood was the exact opposite of Eco’s, as she hummed a tune while hanging the laundry up to dry. It was certainly a maid-like idea to use the deck of a magic ship as a drying area. A large expanse of forest was situated beyond the Escavaron. The bright sun shone over them once more today, giving off a vibe that was nothing like winter.

“It just feels like…”

Despite the beautiful scenery laid out in front of them, Eco appeared somewhat gloomy. Even now, Ash and Lucca were alone. Naturally, Eco had faith that Ash wouldn’t take advantage of the opportunity…he was unlikely to anyway. Their current priority was to cure Oscar and prevent an imminent crisis, namely, civil war in the Chevron Kingdom.

I don’t think Ash and Lucca will develop an improper relationship…right? But, they’re going to spend ten days in a specially enclosed space with no interaction but between themselves. Ash is a gentleman, but he’s still a healthy young man. In that sense, it would be stranger if nothing happened between the two of them at all…Eco couldn’t help but feel restless as soon as such thoughts surfaced in her mind.

“Hah…even if I’m worried, it’s not like I can charge into the <Inner Sanctuary> to find out — uwah!”

—Flap!

Eco was startled by something that suddenly obscured her vision. A moist cloth had covered her face, and the scent of detergent could be smelt from it.

“Oh dear.”

Seeing Eco’s limbs stiffen in fright, Cossette helped to peel the cloth from her face.

“Pwah! Ugh, and here I was wondering what that was!”

“Ufufu, I’m sorry.”

Despite giving a verbal apology, a wide grin remained on Cosette’s face. Eco suddenly frowned. The piece of ‘cloth’ that Cosette held in her hand had caught her attention.

“Hold on, Cosette! Is that Silvia’s underwear!?”

“It is indeed. What’s the matter?”

“Let me see it for a bit!”

“Certainly. Here you go.”

“W-What…what is this!? There’s too much lace! Does Silvia normally wear this kind of underwear?”

“Yes, that’s right. However, Her Highness used to prefer more conservative styles in the past.”

“A-Are you saying…this is because of her relationship with Ash?”

“It’s a possibility, ufufu.”

“—Hey, what are you two whispering about over there?”

It was as if the devil had heard mention of itself. Upon arriving on the deck and seeing Eco and Cosette holding her underwear whilst having a discussion, an irritated expression immediately spread across Silvia’s face.

“Hey! Isn’t that my underwear!?”

“Silvia, you came at the perfect time! Would you care to explain the meaning of this flashy underwear?”

Eco seemed to exude a dark aura from her entire body.

“No, wait. I’ve found an even more elaborate pair of knickers here, you know!?”

“Hey…are you trying to change the subject?”

“No no, it’s not like that! You can see for yourself!”

In the direction of Silvia’s finger — there was a pair of bright red panties which immediately drew their attention. Eco gulped and widened her eyes as she examined the underwear. Indeed, that pair of panties had even more lace than Silvia’s, and it was styled with a pattern of red rose petals. Moreover, for the rear area…there was almost nothing but a string.

“S-Such underwear is way too vulgar!”

Just staring at it caused Eco to blush. Regardless of the situation, she would never dare to put on such alluring underwear….

“Hey, Silvia…the colour of that underwear is as red as flame. Do you think it belongs to Rebecca?”

“Hmm, the President is also the first person that came to mind.”

“—The two of you certainly are examining it quite carefully. That underwear is indeed mine. Is there a problem?”

At that moment, the person in question appeared again. Confronted by the sudden arrival of Rebecca, both Eco and Silvia positioned themselves as if they were facing an enemy.

“Rebecca, could you please explain to us!? Don’t you think that it’s a bad idea for the Student Council President to wear such provocative underwear?”

Eco pointed straight at Rebecca’s nose as she sought to rebuke her.

“I also agree with Eco, President! What is the meaning of this underwear!?”

“Why, of course, it’s underwear for decisive victory.”

“What!?”

Rebecca’s confident and unwavering reply almost caused Eco to trip over backwards.

“A-Against whom is this underwear used for decisive victory?”

Silvia was sweating profusely as she continued her in-depth inquiry.

“Fufu. That’s a secret.”

Rebecca maintained a smile as she exuded a calm demeanour from beginning to end. With that, it became clear which of the two sides had the higher ground. With just a smile, Rebecca had sealed the mouths of both Eco and Silvia, leaving them without a chance for further questioning.

“Leaving that aside, it’s almost time for afternoon tea. Eunice-san is calling for everyone, so remember to come to the dining room later.”

After explaining that, Rebecca swiftly turned around and departed. As soon as her figure disappeared from the doorway, Silvia immediately whispered in a low voice,

“Although she said it was a secret…there aren’t any boys aside from Ash whom the President currently fancies, right?”

“Leaving you aside…if I have to compete with Rebecca as a woman, I don’t feel like I have much chance of winning.”

“Eco! Are you just ignoring me or what? I must admit that I am also no match for the President…but to begin with, Ash is to blame for being too frivolous! Just when did he win over the heart of the President when she’s so out of his league?”

“I guess it was during the preliminaries for the Dragonars’ Gunnar Bout?”

“Hmm. That makes sense…something wasn’t quite right then.”

Perhaps due to the appearance of a common enemy (?), the two of them began to talk with even more vigour.

“Now now, you two should go for some delicious tea and snacks first.”

With a wry smile, Cosette hurried the two of them along.

Part 2

Mirabel alone stayed in the Escavaron’s cockpit. When she casually checked her pocket watch, she realised that it was almost teatime. This meant that Eunice would soon come to see her. Should I wait for Eunice, or should I head to the dining room myself — just as Mirabel thought about such trivialities…

[—Good afternoon, Mirabel-sensei.]

With a slightly static noise, an unexpected foreign call was suddenly received. Displayed on the monitor was a young girl with bright blue hair that curled around her face. She wore a large papal mitre on her head and held a sceptre with a winged cross in her right hand. Her eyes were shaped roundly, and the left and right side glowed like jade and sapphire respectively. Even through the display, the sacred aura that the girl exuded could still be felt. She was the ruler of the Holy Espada Agency, Raquel IV.

“Your Eminence? Is something the matter?”

Although the other party was an adorable nine-year-old girl, she was still the Pope after all, so Mirabel stood up to show her respect.

[Yes. Although it’s not a matter of great urgency…information obtained by the Church indicates that the situation in the Chevron Kingdom is reaching a trigger point. There are approximately a hundred princes who were previously restrained by Prince Uriel’s dominance, but they’re now steadily ramping up their military forces.]

“Is that so? Although this was within our expectations, I didn’t think they’d act so swiftly…”

[Indeed. Just in case, I also issued a statement to strictly forbid any fighting for the throne before the mourning period is over, but…it doesn’t seem to have been effective. At least for now, no one has taken any bold militaristic actions, but political conflict within the palace seems to be in full swing. However…this is fairly commonplace if you look at the history of the Kingdom.]

Although it was difficult to imagine such words coming from a nine-year-old child, it was not particularly surprising to Mirabel since she knew Raquel quite well.

“Annoyingly, there are simply too many princes. As soon as such an immense battle for the throne breaks out, the scale would be unprecedented, right?”

[Indeed. Moreover, according to the Church’s analysis, there’s no single candidate in the running who is powerful enough to bring an early conclusion to the battle.]

Mirabel almost smiled when she heard Raquel use the term ‘Church’s analysis’. Given that Raquel had said so, it gave implicit affirmation that the Church had its own intelligence organisation. Slight negligence in such areas sufficiently indicated that she was still just a child.

“Speaking of that — it seems Prince Uriel expressed similar opinions to Ash. He claimed that aside from himself, the other princes were all incompetent and mediocre…I guess that wasn’t just his narcissism.”

[Indeed. If such incompetent princes are allowed to start a war, civil order in the Kingdom may even break down. As the Pope, I do not wish to see such a disaster befall our faithful followers…]

The majority of people in the Chevron Kingdom were believers of the Rosa Maria faith. It was inevitable that Raquel would be worried.

“Don’t worry, Raquel.”

As if to allay her fears, Mirabel boldly addressed her by name. At the same time, she reminisced about the past when she was Raquel’s swordsmanship instructor.

[Mirabel-sensei?]

Raquel seemed surprised as a look of astonishment covered her face.

“Among those with a right to succeed the throne, there was one person who openly accepted Prince Uriel’s challenge.”

[You’re talking about Oscar Brailsford, right? The problem is…most people are already aware that she’s actually a woman now.]

“Even so, the only person with the charisma to unify the Kingdom now is Oscar. She has the ability to get rid of antiquated stereotypes and become the first ruling queen in the history of the Kingdom. This is by no means a dream. We’re actively working to achieve this goal.”

[About that…the Escavaron is currently stationed in the Ecbald Forest, right? Have you found any clues about her treatment?]

“Yes. If the secret technique of the Dragon Riding Dances — that is, if the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ can succeed, it’s possible that we can save Oscar from the curse of the drug. At least according to the Chief, it has healing properties.”

[The Zeroth Dance? I’ve heard about the legend…but, who will be Lucca’s partner? Given the Chief’s age, I don’t think he’ll be able to do it.]

I didn’t think she had such a clear grasp of the situation…Mirabel thought to herself in admiration of Raquel.

“We’ve decided that Ash will be Lucca’s partner.”

[Eh? Ash-oniichan!?]

Raquel displayed a rare expression that seemed fitting for a girl her age.

“Apparently, even an ordinary human can obtain the same attributes as an Ecbald just by putting on the ring that the Chief lent to him.”

[T-That’s the first time I’ve heard of this! That’s amazing! So, Ash-oniichan is training with Lucca right now?]

“Yes, that’s right. He’s spending some time alone with that cute girl named Lucca in a special space constructed by magic…it seems they’ll be eating and sleeping together as well…”

[U-Umm, Mirabel-sensei? You’re not angry, are you? As I thought, your feelings for Ash-oniichan are—]

“W-What are you saying!? I’m not mad!”

[I-I’m sorry!]

“N-No, please don’t be…it’s not like me to feel so distraught.”

After Mirabel cleared her throat, she began to dissect the root cause of the matter.

Why did I lose my cool…? Even Mirabel couldn’t answer this question.

[Very well. The task of curing Oscar will be entrusted to Ash-oniichan and Lucca for now…]

After saying that much, Raquel suddenly hesitated and paused.

“I think I can understand your situation. From the standpoint of the Holy Espada Agency, you’d like to put something else in play as insurance to prevent anything from happening, right?”

[Yes…it’s just as you say. If Oscar cannot be cured in time, the Holy Espada Agency may request assistance from Avalon’s Holy Dragon Emperors’ Knights…]

“I understand. I don’t want to see a neighbouring country fall into a state of civil war either, and I think our commander — Ash, shares the same sentiment. Naturally, we can only put our faith in Ash and Lucca and patiently await the good news.”

[Yes, of course!]

With an innocent and bright smile across her face, Raquel nodded energetically in agreement. 

“Phew…although it took a while to relieve Raquel of her worries, the way forward is bound to have some bumps.”

Having closed the communication channel, Mirabel returned to the captain’s seat. She began to stare into space and converse with herself.

“I wonder what you’re doing now, Ash…”

As soon as his name escaped her lips, Mirabel’s heart throbbed with an enormous thump.

—In other words, I need you, Princess Mirabel.

Ash’s words resurfaced in her mind. Perhaps that was an unintentional statement on Ash’s part. Moreover, he had probably said similar things to the other girls…. But for some inexplicable reason, Mirabel’s heart was deeply moved by those words. Ever since childhood, she had always been alone in her room. At best, Eunice was the one person with whom she conversed. Because Mirabel had always lived in such isolation, it was the first time in her life that someone told her that she was needed.

“N-No. What on earth…is going on with me?”

Her face felt hot. No, it wasn’t just her face. Her entire body felt like it was overheating. Mirabel couldn’t understand why she felt this way.

“Ash…”

Ash is probably working hard on his special training with Lucca right now. He’s alone with that cute, fairy-like Lucca in an enclosed space….

“T-There’s no need to worry. Ash will surely devote himself to training. If I harbour doubts about them, isn’t that just disrespectful to Ash and Lucca?”

Mirabel muttered to herself as if to provide self-comfort. But even though she could understand the logic, her heart refused to let go. Mirabel was well educated, but she had never read a book which explained such feelings. Analysis of the Escavaron had progressed rather smoothly, but Mirabel grew more and more confused about herself.

“It’s no good. There seems to be something wrong with me…”

Her body was abnormally hot and restless. What should I do to suppress this strange sensation? Mirabel inadvertently glanced around as if she had a secret to hide from public view. There was no one in the cockpit but Mirabel.

“………”

It was almost an involuntary action. Mirabel gently placed both hands over the clothing on her chest. And then, with a circular motion, she slowly began to stimulate her breasts with both hands. This was most certainly not any kind of knowledge that she had acquired from books. It was entirely instinctive behaviour.

“Ah…”

Mirabel couldn’t help but let out a cry.

“Mmm, ah…”

Her moaning breaths naturally found a rhythm. She squeezed her thighs together and rubbed them against each other as she gradually intensified the movement of her fingers.

“If this was…Ash’s finger…”

—In other words, I need you, Princess Mirabel.

Once more, Ash’s voice reverberated through her mind.

“Ahh!”

That alone made Mirabel’s body shudder and feel tender.

“N-No…I can’t. I-If I do something so shameless…n-not even Saint Rosa Maria will forgive me…”

Mirabel tried to summon the last ounce of self-control that remained. Yet, as if to ridicule such efforts, her body continued to grow even hotter. At last, she could no longer hold back, and she reached up to untie the ribbon around her shirt collar—.

“Excuse me.”

All of a sudden, a dignified voice came from behind her.  

“—!”

Mirabel gasped and immediately stiffened.

“Aneue? Afternoon tea has already begun. What are you still dawdling here for? It’s not like you to miss teatime at all…”

Mirabel panicked. I absolutely can’t let anyone know that I immersed myself in the ecstasy of such immoral behaviour…!

“I-It’s nothing! I’ll be there soon!”

Mirabel hid herself behind the captain’s seat as she answered loudly, though her voice came out shaky. However, that only served to arouse Silvia’s suspicions.

“Aneue, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

Silvia strode forward and peered at Mirabel’s face.

“Your face is slightly red. Do you have a fever?”

“I-I don’t have a fever! I was just too focused on the analysis of the Escavaron!”

“Is that so?”

Without any further questioning, Silvia turned around and left. Only then did Mirabel breathe a sigh of relief, but the next instant—

“Aneue?”

Silvia suddenly spun around.

“W-What’s the matter?”

“If you don’t hurry up, your favourite black tea will get cold, you know?”

With that reminder, Silvia finally left the room for real this time.

“Phew…”

After letting out a long sigh, Mirabel collapsed weakly into her seat. Her heart still continued to pulsate rapidly. In the first place, the reason why she ended up in such an embarrassing situation was because of—

“Ash Blake, you truly are such a sinful man…”

Part 3

“…It’s been almost seven years.”

Whilst Eco and the others were enjoying their afternoon tea, there was a single girl who had successfully infiltrated the largest sacred land in the Knight Country — Albion Forest. As if to mock the rigorous guard of the Albion Forest Military Order, the girl’s cloak gently fluttered as she proudly marched forward. For this girl, the knights on patrol were no different than mere scarecrows.

“There’s a saying that goes ‘Ecbalds lurking in a forest are like leaves hidden in a forest’ — though I don’t think that description is vivid enough.”

The girl muttered a saying that had been passed down in the Chevron Kingdom since ancient times. Without warning, the girl stopped and lifted the hood on her head. She then raised her head and looked up.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long…”

What emerged from underneath her hood was — a pair of dark brown pointed ears. Her skin was a darker colour than that of the Tantalos Tribe, and she exuded a mysterious aura. Her slender amethyst eyes had a sharp glare to them, as if confining a flame that burned within. Her face was beautiful and surreal, yet it also seemed to inspire terror. It had much resemblance to the role of villain that was cast in many myths and legends — a dark elf.

“I’m back, Mother Dragon.”

The girl murmured as if cursing with her breath. No, it was most certainly a curse.

“Ever since you rejected me in the <Orphan Ceremony> seven years ago — not once have I forgotten my grudge against you…”

The girl raised her fist and punched the tree beside her.

“Why!? Mother Dragon! Why did you refuse to pick me? If you had granted my wish in the first place…”

Affected by her heightened mood, Kiira’s vision began to distort. The verdant green of the forest flipped and became a field of red. It felt as though a horde of spiders were crawling all over her skin. Before she knew it, sweat had inundated Kiira’s entire body. She was unable to stop her fingers from trembling. Ever since the Mother Dragon rejected her, Kiira had been tormented by these terrible symptoms. In truth, these symptoms could be suppressed by drugs. Kiira also possessed the necessary knowledge to do so. However, Kiira gave up on using drugs to manage her condition. She did so to prevent herself from forgetting about her resentment and desire for revenge—.

“…I’m finally ready, Mother Dragon.”

Muttering that to herself with a gloomy voice, Kiira put her hood back on again.

“The day of your death approaches—”

“Mirabel’s Romance ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 6 – The Dark Elf’s Revenge

Part 1

The fifth day since Ash and Lucca entered The Shrine of Jylhä’s <Inner Sanctuary>—.

After Ash blacked out on the first day, he had finally managed to overcome this obstacle thanks to Lucca teaching him her tips and tricks for high-speed flight. However, taking into account their limited remaining time, such progress was not particularly smooth. Half of their ten-day training period was already over.

“Phew…”

After climbing down from Lancelot’s back, Ash dropped himself onto the lush meadow. He spread himself out on the ground as he stared at the endless sky. In this magical space constructed by the elves, the flow of time inside was identical to the outside world. It was dusk, and the sky was filled with dark red clouds as a result of the sunset. He felt rather comfortable as a cool evening breeze blew across his sweaty body.

“Lucca and Gawain really are amazing.”

Ash couldn’t help but voice his admiration as he cast his gaze towards a corner of the sky. There, he could faintly see a trace of the flight path that Lucca and Gawain had left behind. The left side of the trajectory depicted on the rock slate — the ‘single wing’, had been accurately drawn. It had been perfectly reproduced in accordance with the pattern on the rock slate, down to the details of the wing’s sharp outline and its delicate feathers. Even though it looked perfect to Ash, Lucca only scored herself seventy-five points out of a hundred.

“If something of that calibre is only worth seventy-five points, then my performance…would only be thirty points at best, right?”

At a distance from the perfect ‘single wing’, the trail that had been left behind by Ash and Lancelot was clearly visible. Although it was barely recognisable as the shape of a wing, there were still many unresolved problems with it.

“Kuu~”

At that moment, Lancelot let out a cry of frustration as it lowered its head.

“Oh, it’s not your fault. The biggest problem is still my lack of experience.”

Ash made a wry smile. After living together like this for a few days, Ash had coincidentally discovered Lancelot’s cowardly side which he had never previously seen. Strangely, it might have ended up somewhat like its master.

“I mean, I drew a complete monstrosity yesterday, and I wasn’t even able to finish drawing the day before, so it’s true that I’ve been improving day by day. Although we still have more training and challenges ahead of us in the future, let’s do our best together.”

“Oooooohhh!”

Lancelot responded with a mighty roar this time.

—Clang! Clang!

Hearing the characteristic clang of metalware, Ash turned back to look. He found Lucca sticking her head out of the house’s window with a ladle and a pan in her hand, held high above her head as she tapped them against each other. A plume of white smoke also puffed out of the chimney on the roof.

Part 2

As soon as Ash stepped through the entrance, a herbal scent immediately rushed into his nostrils. After a days’ worth of intensive training, his stomach growled with hunger.

“Welcome home, Ash.”

Lucca popped her face out from the kitchen entrance.

“Yeah, I’m home.”

It feels like we’re a newlywed couple…Ash thought to himself as he washed his hands in the bathroom. He then walked over to the living room. The dining table was lined with various dishes which were all piping hot. Lucca had cooked all of those dishes herself. There was bread which had been baked in a stone kiln, grilled hare with herbs, deep-fried white fish, mushroom and vegetable soup, as well as juice which had been squeezed from fruit and vegetables.

“Tonight’s dinner also looks plentiful and rich.”

Ash savoured the aroma of the dishes while he waited for Lucca to return from the kitchen. During this training period together, Ash had come to realise that Lucca had a homely side to her. Although somewhat rude, Ash initially felt uneasy when Lucca took the initiative to say,

“Leave the cooking to me.”

As the adopted daughter of the well-respected Chief, is it possible that Lucca has absolutely no cooking experience…? Ash had been suspicious of that. His unease was amplified by the terrible experience he had in the cook-off between Eco and Silvia. However, he was given a pleasant surprise. According to Lucca, it was only natural for women in the Ecbald Tribe to learn how to cook. Even as the chief’s daughter, she was no exception. Moreover, Lucca used their training space to hunt, fish, gather fruits, vegetables, herbs and the like…she single-handedly took care of all chores both inside and outside the house. Thanks to her competence in that area, Ash was able to stay focused on his training every day.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ash.”

Lucca walked out of the kitchen while wiping her hands with her apron, but — Ash’s jaw almost dropped to the floor the instant that he saw her outfit.

“Lucca! Why are you dressed like that…?”

“This? Because it’s really hot today…”

Lucca simply tilted her head with a confused expression. Ash felt so embarrassed that he wasn’t sure where to look. Aside from an apron, Lucca was completely nude. The parts of her body exposed beyond the apron and in open view were — her slender shoulders, the depression of her collarbone, her slim arms and luscious legs. In contrast to Lucca’s usual image, it was difficult to imagine her wearing such a bold outfit. Ash suddenly thought of a question. Is she completely naked underneath the apron? Or is she at least wearing underwear?

“Do you not like it, Ash?”

Lucca spun around on the spot for Ash to see.

“Whaa!”

Ash quickly covered his eyes with both hands. However, he couldn’t resist the momentary temptation to take a peep through his fingers. Her platinum blonde hair lightly floated through the air. Her back was as white as fresh snow. Her tight buttocks were covered by white and green striped underwear. Ash breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that Lucca was indeed wearing underwear below her apron.

“Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

“Yep.”

After Lucca answered, she also sat down at the dining table. And thus began their dinnertime on the fifth day of training. 

Ash started by using a knife to slice open the hare meat that had been grilled with herbs. Rich meaty juices spilled out from the cut despite the crispy outer appearance. He then used a fork to send the meat into his mouth. Aromatic herbs and spices spread across the tip of his tongue. The meat was fresh and tender, not as greasy as it looked, and had a refreshing taste overall. Ash felt as though he could eat an almost endless amount of such meat. Like a gourmet, he nodded and made noises such as ‘umu’, and couldn’t help but declare,

“Mmm, it’s delicious!”

Lucca had also just cut a piece of hare meat and placed it in her mouth. She reacted in the same way as Ash, nodding frequently as she murmured,

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

“This deep-fried fish also tastes good. I used to fish quite often in my hometown as well, but…”

“No. Ash, you should focus on training right now.”

“Haha, that’s true…”

When Ash sardonically laughed, Lucca also consumed a piece of the deep-fried white fish.

“But, this juice…it’s as strong as always.”

After raising the glass with his left hand, Ash hesitated. The dark green liquid was rather viscous, and just by looking at it, it seemed like it would be difficult to swallow. Even so, Ash closed his eyes and gulped it all down. Lucca followed suit, raising the glass with her left hand and then closing her eyes. In a somewhat macho manner, she gulped it all down.

“…?”

Ash suddenly noticed that something was amiss. Ordinarily speaking, Lucca wasn’t one to drink things in such a crass manner. If Ash ripped the bread with his hands, Lucca would also begin to rip the bread the following moment. If Ash drank his soup, Lucca would immediately follow him. Only then did Ash discover a significant fact.

“Lucca, are you imitating my actions?”

Lucca shook her head.

“It’s not imitation…I’m predicting your next move while eating. It seems like my hit rate tonight has improved compared to before.”

“Predicting? Why do you need to do that?”

“If the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ is to succeed…the key is synchronisation with your partner.”

“Synchronisation…”

“I always remind myself that my breathing and behaviour must be like yours so that I can enhance my sense of unity with you. If you’re thinking about something, and I can also understand it…then it helps to improve the completion of our performance.”

“I see.”

Ash felt admiration for Lucca’s intricate consideration of such matters. In other words, Lucca had been paying attention to the issue of synchronising with Ash from day one. The fruits of her labour had been put on display at the dining table tonight.

“In that case, I should also carefully observe you. I’ll work hard so that I can accurately understand your feelings.”

“I’ll feel embarrassed if you stare at me too often…”

Lucca’s cheeks turned red. Her abashed expression caused Ash’s heartrate to accelerate.

—Speaking of which…

Ash delved into thought as he chewed on a piece of bread. These past five days, Lucca had unveiled breathtaking dragon riding technique. In terms of overall performance, Rebecca and Silvia were probably superior. However, in terms of ‘flying’ alone, it would be no exaggeration to say that Lucca completely dominated the entire academy.

—It’s pretty difficult for me to reach that level…

Even though Ash had a certain degree of confidence in actual combat, he couldn’t help but feel admiration for Lucca every time he watched her perform a Dragon Riding Dance. Lucca was a genius through and through. The more he faced that fact, the more convinced he became of a certain idea. That idea was — if he hadn’t given Lancelot to Silvia in the <Orphan Ceremony>, it was possible that Lucca would’ve ended up as Eco’s master. The conversation that he had with the Mother Dragon resurfaced in his mind.

—Actually…according to the original plan, Eco should’ve remained in my care for a few more years.

—What you mean is…if I didn’t defy you and accepted Lancelot…Eco would’ve become someone else’s Pal?

—That’s right. The person had already been selected. Like you, that person also bears the <Holy Grail>.

It would’ve been a talented Dragonar who was younger than Ash. If that person was Lucca, she was a match in both age and talent. However, the <Holy Grail> that the Mother Dragon spoke of was still a mystery….

“Hey, Lucca. The truth is—”

With his determination firm, Ash decided to tell Lucca about the Mother Dragon’s revelation. 

After listening to Ash’s recount, a solemn expression hung over Lucca’s face.

“Ash, whether your guess is correct or not…I don’t know. I think there are many people in this world…who are stronger than me.”

“How could there be? I don’t think there are many.”

Ash retorted almost reflexively.

“Umm, Ash…”

Lucca put her fork down.

“I like Gawain. It’s like my family. That’s why there’s nothing wrong with keeping things the way they are.”

“Lucca…”

“Besides, even if I really am the <Avalon Knight>…I don’t think I could be as outstanding as you, Ash. Everyone was saved precisely because that person was you.”

The sincere expression in Lucca’s eyes enraptured Ash’s heart. At the same time, he felt inspired and encouraged. To begin with, the fact that Ash had suddenly raised this topic during dinner probably meant that he had become cowardly and confused. Perhaps his slow progress in training for the Dragon Riding Dance had gradually put a dent in his confidence.

“Thank you, Lucca.”

Upon seeing Ash smile—

“You’re welcome.”

—Lucca also directed a smile at Ash.

Part 3

After dinner, Ash trained by himself in an attempt to make further progress.

“I’m sorry, Lancelot.”

“Ooh.”

Lancelot simply knelt down as if to say, “don’t worry about it”. Grateful for Lancelot’s cordiality, Ash swiftly straddled over, with both feet firmly in the stirrups whilst he grabbed the reins with both hands. He then looked up at the moon in the sky. <Esapce Elfiore> was just like the outside world in that both day and night existed. The first quarter of the new moon hung high in the night sky. The shape of the moon in this space seemed to mirror the real moon phase outside. And just as Rebecca had predicted, the moon slowly grew closer to a full moon each day. Only five days remained until the full moon.

“Let’s go, Lancelot!”

“Uooooooh!”

The surrounding air trembled at high frequency. Its magnificent wings gradually filled with magical energy. Lancelot’s eyes, horns and the sharp claws on each of its four limbs emitted a pale light amidst the darkness, illuminating all that surrounded them. The next instant, Lancelot spread its wings to soar and climb straight up into the sky, as if it was aiming for the very moon itself. At the same time, the ring that the Chief had entrusted to Ash emitted a glow. The magical power released by the jade gemstone spread throughout Ash’s entire body via his <Seikoku>. In his current state, he certainly did have the same attributes as an Ecbald. An incredible feeling of excitement spontaneously surged through his body. Did Lucca’s encouragement have an effect? Lancelot also seemed to sense Ash’s positive mood as it soared vibrantly through the night sky.

—I’m in good shape tonight.

A smile naturally formed on Ash’s face. He focused and carefully traced out the trajectory of the side of the wing that he was responsible for. The delicacy of the line was almost like a work of art. Ash was shocked and intimidated the first time that he saw the trajectory. But that was no longer the case. As he was now, Ash was confident that he could complete it.

“Faster! Higher!”

As Ash drew a trail of light in the night sky, he continued to climb higher. He soon reached the extremities of the wing, which was the most difficult part of the dance. Ash recalled how Lucca and Gawain had handled this part of the dance. Lucca barely slowed as she swiftly made sharp turns at each bend. On the contrary, not long ago, Ash and Lancelot inevitably had to slow down whenever they reached this point. As expected, Lancelot altered its stance as it prepared to slow down around the sharp turns.

“Don’t worry Lancelot! I’m sure we can do it now!”

Ash quickly flicked the reins to dispel Lancelot’s fears. Whenever they performed a Dragon Riding Dance, they would often encounter situations that tested their limits. If he could fly faster, higher and more beautifully, that would also enhance the effect of the magic’s activation. Moreover, the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ required synchronisation with a partner. It would be meaningless if he couldn’t keep up with Lucca’s speed.

“Oooooh!”

Lancelot bravely rushed toward the turning point. It swerved its enormous body at the last second, and then turned around like a whip. As such, they drew out the tip of the wing upon the canvas of the night sky. Instantly, a powerful centrifugal force beyond any imagination was generated. Ash’s weight rapidly increased and blood rushed to the left half of his body.

“Guh!”

Ash gripped the reins with every ounce of strength that he could muster as he shouted in his mind.

—Hang tight, Lancelot! Remember the trajectory that Lucca and Gawain drew!

“Guuuuoooohhhh…!”

Eventually, Lancelot couldn’t help but groan in agony.

“Huh?”

All of a sudden, the land and sky reversed. Unable to withstand the physical load, Lancelot was deprived of its freedom. Lancelot’s enormous mass was easily sent hurtling away like a cannonball. It had completely lost control. The rein in Ash’s right hand fractured and tore under the immense load. If Ash even relaxed for a moment, he would instantly be blown away by the powerful winds like a single leaf. A fall from this height would inevitably result in death.

—Do your best to hold on, please, Lancelot…!

Ash desperately clung onto Lancelot’s body as he forcefully shoved a horrifying image out of his mind. Lancelot’s figure drew an arc in the night sky as it spiralled downward toward the ground.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

Part 4

“Ugh…”

Ash regained consciousness as he felt a cool breeze brush up against his cheek. As he awoke, he found himself lying under the shade of a tree. It was already dawn in <Espace Elfiore>. Upon glancing around, he found himself to be in the middle of a vast grassland. The small freestanding house that served as their home stood by itself in the distance. Lancelot and Gawain could be seen curled up and asleep beside it.

How did I end up asleep here?

When Ash tried to prop up his upper body, a sudden pain assaulted his back.

“I remember…that’s right!”

After some straining, he finally recalled the events of the night. Indeed, Ash and Lancelot had fallen from the sky. Although Lancelot had spurted magical energy in the opposite direction to soften most of the impact, it was still a considerable blow for Ash. Ash was thrown into the air and his back abruptly impacted the ground when Lancelot made an emergency landing — however, he couldn’t recall anything after that. Ash slowly and carefully lifted his upper body. Only then did the blanket over his shoulders slide down — causing Ash’s eyes to widen.

“Uwah! Lucca!?”

Lucca was nestled up and asleep right beside him. Given her light snores, it seemed as though she was sound asleep. She held a large Bright Dragon Crystal in her right hand. Judging by the intermittent flickering of the crystal, its magic still seemed to be in effect. Lucca’s entire body seemed linked to that magical reaction as it emitted a slight glow and everything under the blanket felt refreshingly comfortable.

“So this is a healing Oracle huh…”

It was only then that Ash realised — Lucca was actually sleeping and casting healing magic at the same time.

“In any case…”

Ash was troubled when faced with the issue of where to rest his gaze. Lucca was stark naked. Although her innocent sleeping face drew a heartfelt smile from Ash, her fairy-like beauty and figure also enchanted him. As if entranced by a spell, Ash couldn’t pull his eyes away—

“W-What am I looking at!?”

Ash suddenly returned to his senses. With his cheeks burning as hot as a fire, he quickly covered Lucca with the blanket. It was then that he discovered another important fact.

“—Huh…why aren’t I wearing any clothes either!?”

Although he still had underwear, it appeared that everything except for his underwear had been taken off by Lucca during the course of his treatment. Ash re-examined his physical condition from head to toe. His head, arms, legs and shoulder to chest area were all wrapped up in bandages. Ointment had been applied to his knees and elbows. Even just moving his body a little produced severe pain from all over his body. Ash tried to stand — the pain in his knees and ankles was mind-numbing, but he managed to stand still despite the immense difficulty. Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

“Phew. Since I can stand, I should be able to ride Lancelot without a problem…”

Having said that, judging by Lucca’s focused approach to treatment, is it possible that the injuries I sustained were actually quite serious — such anxiety briefly crossed Ash’s mind. Looking at each item of clothing which lay on the ground, all of them were horribly torn apart and even some shocking blood stains remained on them. However, it was no time to harbour fear. Their training had already entered its sixth day. Just when Ash put his clothes back on…

“Nnh…Ash?”

Wrapped under the blanket, Lucca stirred slightly and in slow motion. She then abruptly opened her amethyst eyes and searched for Ash’s silhouette. After a while, their eyes met.

“I’m sorry for making you worry…”

“…Ash!”

Despite rarely showing any emotion, Lucca threw herself into Ash’s arms. The blanket that covered Lucca’s body fluttered in the wind.

“Whoa! Lucca?”

Ash couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Only a blanket covered Lucca’s body, and even through the blanket, Ash could clearly feel Lucca’s bodily warmth and the soft touch that was unique to a young maiden’s body. Lucca buried her face into Ash’s chest as she wept.

“It’s such a relief…I’m so glad that you’re safe, Ash…”

“Thanks for your concern, Lucca.”

Ash put his arms around Lucca’s back. She felt incredibly slender as he held her in his arms. Even with such a fragile body, Lucca had used healing magic to heal Ash all night.

“We might only have four days left — but I’ll definitely make the Dragon Riding Dance a success.”

Ash resolutely uttered such words by Lucca’s ear.

“You’re mistaken, Ash…”

Noticing the sudden look of sorrow on Lucca’s face, Ash felt confused.

“What am I wrong about…?”

After Lucca wiped her tears away with her fingers, she gazed up at Ash with a solemn expression.

“Today is the eighth day, so there are only two days left. You’ve been in a coma during this time…”

“What!? Because of my carelessness…our precious training time…”

Ash’s mind went blank. It was as if he had hit his head and his vision turned black. Lucca suddenly made a move. The blanket that covered her body slid down all the way to the ground.

“…!”

Ash’s eyes widened in shock, but he couldn’t even say a word. After all, Lucca stood on her tiptoes and sealed his lips. Through their linked lips, Ash was able to feel the sincerity of Lucca’s emotions. After a while, Lucca drew her lips away. Perhaps due to the extreme embarrassment she felt, everything from her ears to her neck was dyed red like a rose.

“This is a spell…”

After burying her face into Ash’s chest again, she quietly whispered,

“Don’t despair. Don’t forget that you have me by your side…”

“Lucca…”

“We might not have much time left — but let’s continue to do our best.”

Lucca’s positivity and optimism moved Ash’s feelings. Indeed, it was no time to despair. The loss of two days’ time would certainly have a major impact, but Ash was not alone. Lucca wholeheartedly supported Ash and would fight by his side—

“Thank you, Lucca. Your spell was very effective.”

“Yes!”

Lucca responded to Ash with a wide, bright smile.

Part 5

In the depths of the forest—.

After several days of searching, Kiira Brava Henriksen finally arrived at the centre of the forest. Approximately two days’ worth of preserved food remained in her bag. Naturally, there was a good reason as to why a member of the Ecbald tribe struggled in the forest despite being regarded as fairies of the forest. Several layers of illusion magic were used to create a labyrinthian barrier in the forest. While Kiira was exploring a few days ago, she happened to encounter an <Orphan Ceremony> being held. There were around a hundred children involved in the ceremony. Most of the children were deemed to be eliminated as they were bewitched and manipulated by the labyrinthian magic so that they couldn’t even get close to the sanctuary where the Mother Dragon resided. Even so, Kiira successfully made it to her destination. What towered in front of her was an enormous old tree. Its sturdy trunk and the intricately intertwined branches which formed a canopy were reminiscent of a dragon’s body. Even though Kiira grew up in a forest, she found it difficult to imagine how long it would take for a tree to grow so large.

“Hmph. You may have deceived me when I was seven years old…but to think that this tree is actually your true visage.”

After muttering that in anger, Kiira removed the hood that covered her head. In the darkness, only Kiira’s eyes revealed a brilliant glow.

“Get out here now, Mother Dragon!”

Kiira glared at the enormous old tree in front of her as if she was making a declaration of war.

“I am Kiira Brava Henriksen! Do you remember my name!?”

As if reacting to her statement, the surrounding scenery suddenly distorted. The next instant, Kiira found herself standing in a familiar place. The forest had disappeared, and what appeared in its place was a stalactite cave instead. A sweet fragrance filled the air. As a pharmacist, Kiira immediately recognised the herb that dragons loved — Ansal. Numerous Bright Dragon Crystal lights hung from the high ceiling and shone brilliantly. A lake lay ahead, and the light that was cast from the ceiling reflected off the lake giving it a bright golden colour. On the other side of the lake was a shrine that gave off a classical aura. The scenery before her eyes was exactly as it was seven years ago. Indeed, this was none other than the Mother Dragon’s territory. Seven years ago, Kiira and Lucca had also wandered into this territory. Yet, the Mother Dragon had cruelly and mercilessly shattered Kiira’s dream. She only gave an embryo to Lucca. To the Mother Dragon, Kiira was just an accessory to Lucca. Kiira had never been able to forget the despair and humiliation she suffered that day.

“—As a result of that hatred, I turned into a dark elf…”

At that moment, a silhouette appeared in front of the shrine as if formed from the surrounding air.

“I know why you’ve come here.”

It was a gentle woman who seemed like a dignified lady. Her waist-length hair was dark green in colour. The most surprising thing was that she had two horns atop her head. The intricate branches of her horns gave the impression of a mature dragon. Although somewhat surprised, Kiira maintained her composure.

“You’re the Mother Dragon? Back then, you appeared in the form of a dragon, but I didn’t expect that you could take on a human form…no, whether you’re human or dragon doesn’t matter. I have only one purpose, and that is to kill you!”

“You’re an impatient one, but my life is running out anyway. Is there any meaning in coming here to kill me with your own two hands?”

“Of course there is!”

Kiira sneered. She felt excitement surge from the depths of her body.

“You won’t be dying naturally, but at the hands of Kiira Brava Henriksen — as long as that happens, I’ll be satisfied!”

“…It seems there is no room for negotiation. Given that is the case, I will just have to resist.”

After the Mother Dragon declared that she would not wait idly for death, an abnormality took place in the lake.

—Doooooooooonnnnn!

As the water in the lake parted to the left and right, a group of Hydras appeared along with a grand splash of water. No, it was inaccurate to describe it as a ‘group’. It was an enormous dragon with seven heads.

“What!?”

While Kiira was dumbfounded, the dragon’s abdomen split apart. From there, a countless number of tentacles gushed out from its abdominal cavity. With a sharp whistle as they whisked through the air, the tentacles attacked Kiira one after another.

“Kuh…!”

After the tenatcles wrapped around Kiira’s four limbs, they mercilessly lifted her up. Kiira’s feet left the ground and she was strung up in mid-air. Like a saint being crucified on a cross, Kiira’s arms were pulled to the left and right as she was held in mid-air. After glancing viciously at Kiira while she was restrained, the Mother Dragon coldly said,

“It is my guardian beast and the defensive system of Albion — Leviathan.”

“…I see. I thought it was strange. Even though I’m an Ecbald, the forest seemed too convenient. Even taking that labyrinth enchantment into account, it’d render most people helpless but wouldn’t be a major hurdle for an Ecbald.”

“I sympathise with your experience. However, since you insist on cutting off the lifeline of the dragon species — I have no choice but to follow the vote of the ancient wise dragon council to treat you as a foreign enemy. If I give the order, Leviathan can tear your body to pieces right away, you know?”

“…Fine. I surrender then.”

“A wise decision.”

“—Did you really think I’d say that?”

A wicked smile formed on Kiira’s face as she hung in mid-air.

“I already know all about your tricks. Your defence is illusory magic, right? Illusions that activate directly in the target’s mind — probably highly effective against ordinary people. After all, the best evidence is that no threat has been made to your life over the course of history. However—”

With a tyrannical smile, Kiira clenched her teeth. More accurately speaking, she was biting down on the medicine that she had concealed in her molars—.

“You didn’t…!”

For the first time, the Mother Dragon revealed a look of surprise.

“I’m an Ecbald pharmacist. I came prepared with a drug to combat your illusory mental attacks!”

The Mother Dragon’s illusions manipulated a substance in a target’s brain to induce strange hallucinations. Since that was the case, using medicine to counteract the effect could potentially break the illusion — that was the conclusion Kiira came to after some thought. Naturally, the chance of success was low. After all, the drug she concocted wasn’t guaranteed to counteract the Mother Dragon’s illusions. Even so, Kiira combined the deep knowledge accumulated by the Ecbald tribe with the scientific methods of the Zepharos Empire to continuously improve. With full devotion of her effort, Kiira finally succeeded in developing a psychotropic drug which gave her an opportunity to fight against the Mother Dragon’s trump card.

“Incredible…I am deeply impressed by your dedication. However, illusion though it may be, if Leviathan attacks you, your spirit will still be hurt. Even if your body is safe, your psyche cannot escape death.”

After saying that, the Mother Dragon silently raised her right hand.

“Goooooooooohhhhh!”

Upon seeing this signal, Leviathan let loose a grand roar. The tentacles that bound Kiira’s body continued to strengthen their grip. If this continued, Kiira would probably be torn to pieces by Leviathan just as the Mother Dragon declared. However — in the next instant, the surrounding scenery distorted and Kiira’s vision was clouded by darkness.

Part 6

Kiira awoke underneath the enormous old tree.

“Phew. It seems like the drug has taken effect.”

Now, no hallucinations could continue to affect Kiira’s mind. Although it was a potentially fatal gamble, the ultimate winner proved to be Kiira.

“Hmph. Without the protection of illusions, you’re just a mere old tree.”

As Kiira mumbled that triumphantly, she squatted down beside the root of the giant tree. She then took a small vial out of her pocket that was filled with a purple liquid.

“Do you know what this is, Mother Dragon? Oh, I guess you can’t answer now even if you wanted to.”

After satirically saying so, she unplugged the vial.

“This is called <Necroma> — I named it myself.”

Kiira stared at the purple liquid as if it was her pride and joy.

“I asked Uriel to provide me with materials as a condition for preparing the narcotic <Galatea>. Uriel quickly and easily agreed. He immediately offered me six hundred and sixty-six prisoners without a second question.”

Kiira slowly tilted the medicine bottle, and the purple liquid dripped onto the tree’s roots. The drug soaked into the soil almost instantaneously.

“If I was only going to kill a plant, there would be a plethora of physical methods. But wouldn’t that be too boring? You’ll ingest the drug that I personally concocted through these thick roots. As for what will happen afterwards…hmph, we’ll just wait and see.”

Kiira’s eyes were set ablaze and gave off an eerie glow.

“I’ll watch you die with my own eyes first. Even if it takes a few days, I’ll stay right here with you—”

“Necroma ~A.S.B.1365.12” is closed.

Chapter 7 – The Calamity of Albion

Part 1

“Ungh.”

With a still hazy consciousness, Eco slowly lifted her upper body.

“Oh, that’s amazing, Eco-chan. You didn’t oversleep this morning.”

Cosette walked up to the bedside with a smile across her face.

“What time is it right now…?”

“It’ll soon be eight-thirty.”

“Really…”

Eco sleepily looked around at the room. Not only was it Silvia’s personal bedroom, it also happened to be the Lautreamont Knight Country’s embassy. Aside from a bed that was in the room, it didn’t show too many other signs of life. Desks and bookshelves occupied most of the space in the room, giving it a quiet atmosphere.

Silvia had once left the Escavaron when Ash was determined to establish his own independent country — but she eventually returned as an ambassador. Although her role as ambassador was probably just an excuse for her to stay by Ash’s side, Silvia was a responsible person after all, and she seemed to want to take her job as ambassador seriously.

Eco had moved into Silvia’s room ever since Ash left the Escavaron to train. Living by herself in the room that she normally shared with Ash, Eco found it overly spacious and increasingly lonely. Since she didn’t want to live by herself, both Silvia and Cosette welcomed her. However, Silvia was nowhere to be seen this morning. She had probably gone off to do her morning training as usual. It was certainly very much like Silvia to do so. Even without Lancelot, she never lacked self-discipline and continued to train herself.

“It’s tonight, isn’t it?”

Cosette muttered as she stood in front of a calendar which hung on the wall. Those words instantly dispersed the drowsiness that clouded Eco’s mind. It had just become the tenth day since Ash and Lucca began their training. Today was the optimal day to borrow the power of the full moon to maximise the effects of the Dragon Riding Dance, but—

“…!”

Eco jumped out of bed as if she had suddenly thought of a problem. She dashed over to the window, stood up on her tiptoes, and then looked up at the sky through the round window.

“Mmm, the weather is great today!”

Eco loudly avowed.

“It seems that tonight will be the best full moon for a Dragon Riding Dance.”

Cosette also replied cheerfully. It was at that moment that…Eco’s vision suddenly faded to black.

“What’s happening!?”

Eco felt as though she had been thrown into the night sky. Her sense of space in every direction had become blurred and uncertain. After a while, a ladylike yet hazy silhouette appeared. She possessed green eyes and green hair. The two horns on her head appeared to indicate that she was an adult dragon.

“Who are you…?”

Although it was their first meeting, Eco strangely felt a sense of nostalgia. The lady stared at Eco with a lonesome gaze. After a while, the lady squeezed a faint and weak voice from her mouth.

[—Farewell, Eco.]

Part 2

“Are you alright, Eco-chan?”

Eco awakened to Cosette grasping her by the shoulders and shaking her. The lacquer black space disappeared, and she had returned to Silvia’s room. Eco lay down on the bed as she accepted Cosette’s care.

“What’s wrong with me…?”

Eco propped up her upper body and looked down intently at her own body. She couldn’t find any abnormalities.

“I was shocked when you suddenly fainted. Even your pupils dilated, and it seemed as if…your soul had been transported somewhere else. By the way, it’s already two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“I slept for that long? I finally managed to wake up early, but in the end…”

Eco was momentarily stunned. She thought that she had been unconscious for five minutes at most — she didn’t expect that several hours had passed in the real world. Eco recalled the vision that she had seen. On that topic, Cosette’s analogy was quite correct. Eco had indeed fallen into a state where her soul was summoned to another location.

“…I saw a rather strange woman.”

“A woman?”

“Well, although she was a woman, she had horns on her head…that’s why I think she was a dragon.”

“—She is the Mother Dragon.”

A sharp voice suddenly came from behind, and Eco spun around to see — a materialised Navi leisurely sat in a chair.

“That woman…is the Mother Dragon?”

“Her body is like mine in that she uses magic to construct its form — however, she is most certainly the Mother Dragon.”

“She’s the Mother Dragon…”

Eco whispered to herself as she touched <Avalon’s Bracelet> on her wrist. Eco had visited Albion Forest during the summer break. Although the purpose of that trip was to answer the summons of the Mother Dragon — Ash was the only one who ended up seeing the Mother Dragon. Although the Mother Dragon gave the bracelet to Eco through Ash, Eco still regretted not being able to meet the Mother Dragon in person. She hadn’t expected that she would meet the Mother Dragon in this manner…and Eco couldn’t help but feel confused due to the sudden nature of the situation. Having said that, even though it was a rare occasion for them to see each other, the Mother Dragon only said “Farewell, Eco.”

“…What the heck? The first word that a mother says to her daughter is ‘farewell’? What is she trying to do?”

Eco stared at the bracelet with a complicated expression. However, Navi said something to Eco that seemed completely out of the blue.

“It seems the Mother Dragon is conscious of the fact that her death is approaching—”

Part 3

An emergency meeting was held on the ship at half past two in the afternoon. Although she normally never attended such meetings, Navi made an exception today. In addition, even chief Lars and head priestess Frederica attended.

“According to Navi’s report, the Mother Dragon…is close to death.”

Mirabel was the first to speak. An uproar instantly engulfed the meeting room.

“Quiet. Navi, do you have any more information that you can add?”

When asked by Mirabel, Navi seemed to hesitate before coming up with a reply.

“I’m not entirely sure about the details either. But…I thought it would still be quite some time until Mother’s life reached its end. It’s hard to imagine that she’d be so weak that she would die during this period…”

“Do you mean to say that someone hurt the Mother Dragon—?”

Silvia questioned with a sharp glint in her eyes.

“Although I wouldn’t dare to make such an assertion, I do have a bad premonition about it. Something abnormal must have happened in Albion Forest…”

Given the pained expression on Navi’s face, it was clear that the situation was no small matter. With a solemn expression, Lars said,

“It appears that this is an urgent situation. We should verify the status of the Mother Dragon as a matter of urgency.”

“The issue is that we should welcome Ash and Lucca’s return tonight. If the Escavaron is dispatched now—”

Mirabel couldn’t seem to decide on a course of action.

“No, there is no need to mobilise the Escavaron.”

Having remained silent until now, Frederica finally voiced her opinion.

“Why do you say that?”

Mirabel tilted her head as she asked.

“The <Three Forests> have been connected since ancient times, and one can pass freely between them. The only ones who can open that <Gate> are Ecbald clergy.”

Frederica asserted with pride as a member of the clergy.

“In that case, it makes things much simpler. Could you please open the <Gate> now? As for those who will go into Albion Forest, is there anyone who would like to volunteer—”

Mirabel looked around at everyone as she asked.

“I’ll go. Although I miss Ash…I feel that I should go to Albion Forest as a representative of the dragon race.”

“Aneue! Please allow me to go as a representative of the Knight Country! I also have a bad feeling about this.”

Silvia stood proudly as she expressed her strong determination.

“Since Princess-sama intends to go, I am duty-bound to follow her.”

Standing by the doorway, Cosette volunteered herself with a gentle tone.

“Then, as Ansarivan’s Student Council President, I shall also accompany them.”

Lastly, Rebecca valorously made her decision. With that, the party that would head to Albion Forest was decided.

Part 4

Eco and the others all rode atop Rebecca’s Maestro Cú Chulainn towards the so-called <Gate> that head priestess Frederica had described — they went along a path through the forest that continued all the way up north. Chief Lars also rode his Maestro Rosberg in accompaniment so that he could send them off, with Frederica riding with him.

“That is the Ecbald Forest’s <Gate>.”

After a while, Lars pointed at a place that seemed like a plaza as he said so. The dense branches and foliage that normally provided cover produced a beautiful round opening there. In the centre of the plaza, ancient boulders were arranged in a ring, giving the place a solemn atmosphere. The members of the clergy had already arrived in advance and waited for the arrival of Eco and the others by the boulders. There were around thirty of them in all. It was a marvel to see Ecbald people dressed in religious outfits surrounding the circular formation of boulders. It even brought on a sense of nervousness.

“Head priestess, everything has been prepared.”

One of the priests reported to Frederica.

“Thank you.”

After expressing her gratitude, Frederica climbed down from Rosberg’s back.

“Hmm, so this is a so-called Stone Circle. It’s my first time seeing the real thing with my own eyes.”

Silvia voiced her admiration as she overlooked the stone formation.

“I can feel a mysterious power. Is that also a legacy of the elves?”

Eco asked in wonder.

“That is correct, Eco. For generations, the Ecbald tribe has protected this Stone Circle and The Shrine of Jylhä.”

Lars answered as he gazed off into the distance. Frederica then issued her orders,

“Please ride Cú Chulainn to the centre of the Stone Circle.”

Rebecca followed the instructions, riding Cú Chulainn forward to a side of the Stone Circle before pausing for a moment, and then carefully crossing over. Cú Chulainn barely managed to fit inside the Stone Circle.

“There are a few things to pay attention to here. Firstly, the opening of the <Gate> is limited to once per day. Secondly, the <Gate> can only stay open for a maximum of five hours. If we were purebred elves, it would’ve been possible to control at will like a switch, but as we have mixed human blood, this is the extent of our abilities.”

“I understand, head priestess.”

Rebecca replied confidently to Frederica, who seemed a little apologetic.

“Very well, I shall open the <Gate>—”

Frederica declared with a solemn air about her.

“O <Gate> forged by our mighty ancestors in ancient times long past…”

Frederica began to recite a chant. The other members of the clergy also followed her. Eco’s sixth sense told her — magical energy was slowly taking shape around the Stone Circle. And then, a gust of wind blew around them, and a complicated and intricate magic circle appeared on the ground. Soon, the entire plaza was filled with blue and white luminosity—

“Open the path to Albion Forest here!”

As Frederica yelled that with a firm voice, a pillar of light erupted from the ground. Eco’s vision became a vast expanse of whiteness and she felt as if she was floating in the air.

Part 5

After the beam of light disappeared, Eco’s vision also returned to normal.

“Ugh…”

Eco clung onto Cú Chulainn as she slowly opened her eyes. The place that they stood upon now was also a plaza which had a Stone Circle at its centre. At first glance, the scenery was familiar, but the clergymen led by Frederica were missing. The colour of the sky was also distinctly different from how it looked in the Ecbald Forest. The weather in the Ecbald Autonomous Region was clear and fine, while the weather here was grey and overcast. Moreover, white snow petals drifted down from the sky. Eco couldn’t help but shiver. The atmosphere of the surrounding environment was also completely different from the Ecbald Forest. Looking around, Eco felt a sense of nostalgia well up inside her.

“No doubt, this is definitely Albion Forest…”

As if in response to Eco’s words, Cú Chulainn began to move. It lifted its heavy limbs as it stepped out of the Stone Circle. The complex pattern of the magic circle still continued to emit a pale blue glow. Rebecca, who had been staring intently at the magic circle, pensively folded her arms in front of her chest.

“If my guess is correct, we should be sent back to the Ecbald Forest as long as we step onto that magic circle again.”

“Which means that we have five hours to act before that magic circle disappears. Let’s set off for the Mother Dragon’s location without any further ado!”

Silvia clenched her fist beside Eco.

“That’s the spirit, Princess-sama.”

Cosette smiled as she responded to Silvia.

“There’s just one problem…is it that easy to find the Mother Dragon?”

Eco frowned as memories of her summer vacation flashed through her mind. On that day — Ash was the only one who was able to succeed in meeting the Mother Dragon. Both Eco and Silvia were harassed by illusions from beginning to end. Eco still had an unpleasant impression of her separation from Ash at that time…

[—I’m not sure if it’s fortunate or unfortunate, but that’s not a problem you have to worry about.]

Having returned to the Dragon Workshop, Navi communicated with Eco telepathically.

“—Navi? What do you mean?”

[Even I find it unbelievable, but…the Mother Dragon’s labyrinth barrier has actually been lifted. Cú Chulainn should be able to take you to where the Mother Dragon is right away.]

After explaining so, Navi ended her dialogue.

“Eco? What did Navi say?”

Silvia asked. Rebecca and Cosette also directed their attention to Eco.

After Eco relayed Navi’s information to everyone—

“Ooooohh!”

Cú Chulainn suddenly roared and then began to tread forward with earth-shaking footsteps.

“Then let us follow Navi’s suggestion and entrust Cú Chulainn with the task of leading the way.”

Just as Rebecca made a content smile—

—Pah!

With a sudden flap, Cú Chulainn soared up and above the forest.

“Wha…!”

Eco’s eyes widened. Albion Forest looked completely different. The sight of Albion Forest now was vastly different from the scenery that Eco recalled when she looked down on it from Lancelot’s back during the summer vacation. No, the appearance of the forest itself probably hadn’t changed. Rather, it was due to the Mother Dragon’s magical enchantment being lifted that the forest’s true appearance was revealed. An enormous old tree beyond all imagination that towered into the sky stood in the centre of the forest. The group immediately realised that that was the Mother Dragon’s body.

“That’s Albion Forest’s…true appearance?”

Silvia also looked down at the forest below with a blank expression.

“Umm…Mother Dragon-sama must be a plant, right?”

Cosette asked, as if she had realised something in hindsight.

“Yes, that’s right. What’s the matter?”

 Silvia replied, as if puzzled by the question.

“Don’t you all think…that she seems to be moving?”

Just as Cosette tilted her head in bewilderment—

—Pew! Pew!

Something suddenly swept past Cú Chulainn’s flank with a whistling whir.

“Guuu!”

Cú Chulainn made an anguished groan. Slight burn marks could be seen on the fur of its sides.

“Is that an anti-air attack?”

Silvia yelled in amazement.

“…I command you in the name of Rebecca Randall. Bestow upon me the Ark that you have created!”

Rebecca’s powerful voice resounded through the grey sky as snowflakes drifted down.

“Uooooooooooooohhhhh!”

Cú Chulainn let loose a roar that was loud enough to rattle everyone’s eardrums. Rebecca’s body became shrouded in a dazzling light, and bright red armour emerged from thin air. Piece by piece, it was assembled over Rebecca’s naked body. At last, she equipped a cloak that fluttered in the wind — thus completing the second form of her Ark.

“Appear…the certain hit magic spear! Gáe Bolg!”

Rebecca had prepared herself for battle in almost no time.

“Go, Cú Chulainn!”

Under Rebecca’s orders, Cú Chulainn began to glide through the air with caution. It flicked its body to the left and the right, dodging the mysterious projectiles while it slowly closed the distance.

“Hah!”

Rebecca suddenly used the magic spear Gáe Bolg to attack. Clang! —A sharp sound rang out, and a ball-like object like the ones used for Dragon Riding sports flew into Eco’s arms.

“Whaa!?”

In astonishment, Eco reflexively hugged the object. It had a warm and hard sensation to it.

“Hey…Rebecca. This is really dangerous!”

Eco raised her fist in protest. Eco was struggling to cope with just holding onto Cú Chulainn so that she wouldn’t be thrown off when they dodged projectiles. So, it was hard to blame Eco for getting angry when an inexplicable object suddenly came flying at her during such a moment.

“Sorry sorry, I didn’t mean it. So, what on earth is that projectile?”

Rebecca made a wry smile as she answered from above Eco.

“Projectile? …Are you talking about this thing?”

Eco stared at the object in her arms. The surface was dark brown and felt quite rough to touch. Silvia and Cosette also looked carefully at it.

“Looking closely, it appears to be a plant seed.”

“Although it looks too big to be a seed, I can’t think of a more apt description than a seed. Moreover, they were fired at us from Mother Dragon-sama’s body…”

“What reason does Mother have for attacking us?”

Eco was puzzled. Perhaps due to its unique reproductive system, the Mother Dragon couldn’t be compared to an ordinary mother. Even so, the Mother Dragon was a motherly existence to Eco. Eco felt sincerely happy when she received <Avalon’s Bracelet>. Why would her mother attack her indiscriminately? While Eco was emotionally hurt, the seed pellets continued to fire relentlessly and passed by Cú Chulainn at high speed.

“Hmm…they might be seeds, but their speed is incredible. Even Cú Chulainn would be seriously injured if it took a head-on shot. Not to mention that if we were hit…it might be a one-hit kill.”

A cold sweat broke on Silvia’s forehead as she began to feel anxious.

“Please rest assured. In order to protect Your Highness’ life, I shall do everything that I must.”

Cosette revealed a smile as if to appease Silvia.

“Hmm. Continuing on like this indefinitely isn’t going to work. You three, make sure you hold on tightly to Cú Chulainn!”

Rebecca steeled her resolve as she shouted resolutely.

“Cú Chulainn! Activate a defensive shield and then charge at Mother at full speed!”

Rebecca’s decision absolutely mortified both Eco and Silvia.

“Uooooooooooooohhhhh!”

Cú Chulainn obeyed Rebecca’s order without hesitation. Cú Chulainn created a Hexagonal Shield in front of itself, and then charged towards the great ancient tree’s roots like a meteor—.

Part 6

“How is this possible!? This is the Mother Dragon?”

Silvia couldn’t help but cry out after Cú Chulainn charged through a rain of projectiles and landed at the base of the enormous tree.

“What’s the matter…?”

Eco felt her heart sink for a while as she gazed at the body of the Mother Dragon. The trunk and branches of the large ancient tree had undergone unbearable changes. The bark was greasy and viscous as if it had been coated with tar, and it was also dyed jet black. Purple spots appeared all over the trunk, giving it a frightening appearance. It was clearly a tree, but it gave off a horrific impression of something that had been corrupted. Moreover, a dark and dense layer of magic was continuously ejected from the centre of the tree.

“What is this…is a monster like this really my ‘mother’?”

Eco’s fists trembled without rest.

“Kukuku…”

Haughty laughter suddenly drifted down from the tree.

“You guys are pretty good if you’re able to break past this one’s anti-air shooting—”

As Eco looked up, she locked eyes with a slender girl. The girl was casually dressed in a long cloak as she sat on a branch. Her slender eyes were like those of a lynx that had locked on to its prey. The girl’s appearance gave off a mysterious impression. Judging by the shape of her ears, she appeared to belong to the Ecbald Tribe, but her skin was dark. During their stay in the Ecbald Forest, Eco had seen all kinds of Ecbald women, and all of them had skin as white as snow. Yet, this girl’s skin was such a dark colour that it seemed to deny all of that. She didn’t just have a dark complexion either. Her entire being gave off an aura that seemed synonymous with darkness.

“You’re the one who crafted the narcotic, Kiira Brava Henriksen, aren’t you!?”

When Silvia asked that, Kiira simply revealed a mysterious smile. She looked mature and didn’t appear to be a girl of the same age as Lucca. Given the long, slender forms of her limbs, she actually seemed closer to Rebecca in age.

“Correct. You were actually able to deduce my identity at a glance…I see. You guys must be Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights who defeated Uriel, I presume?”

“You’re quite perceptive, but it doesn’t seem as though we have time for leisurely introductions. What have you done to the Mother Dragon? I can vaguely sense a presence similar to that of a Necromancia…”

Upon hearing Rebecca’s question, Kiira stood up on the branch where she had been sitting.

“This thing is called a Necroplant. I allowed the Mother Dragon to absorb into her roots a drug that I specially developed called <Necroma>. It results in a mutation of her body. Unlike the Necromancias which can be mass-produced as long as dragon ashes are used, this Necroplantis a unique existence.”

“Then, the six hundred and sixty-six people that you asked Uriel for…”

Despite the sullen expression on Rebecca’s face, a smile remained on Kiira’s face.

“As you’ve guessed, I extracted all of their Astral into a crystal and used that as an ingredient for <Necroma>.”

“Why…why did you commit such an unconscionable act!?”

Eco couldn’t help but shed tears.

“Why, you ask? It’s obviously for the sake of revenge! I will never forgive the Mother Dragon who refused to make a contract with me! I’ve hated her for so many years, and now the time for my revenge has finally arrived!”

“Y-You lowlife…you did this to the Mother Dragon for such a trivial reason?”

Silvia was infuriated.

“A trivial reason? Huh, what the hell do you know!?”

“I sympathise with your past, but everything you did has ruined the <Orphan Ceremony>. Children will never again have the chance to obtain a Pal, and you’re the one who has deprived those like you who hoped of becoming a Dragonar from ever doing so. Do you have the conscience to face the grave sins that you’ve committed?”

“A conscience? Piss off! My heart has long since been decimated by my hatred of the Mother Dragon. Open yours eyes and gaze upon my black skin! As I fell into darkness, my skin naturally turned black too.”

“Is that really possible!?”

Eco muttered to herself in amazement.

“Pride, envy, rage, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust — the Holy Espada Agency has named those as the <Seven Deadly Sins>. Ecbalds whose minds have been corrupted by any three of them will have their skin turn black as if to make it publicly known that they have sinned.”

Kiira coldly answered as if it had nothing to do with herself.

“I suppose you’d be guilty of rage against Mother, envy of Lucca, and greed born out of your strong desire for revenge — those three? Your mind is so corrupted that I’d actually feel relieved if you were also slothful.”

Kiira flatly ignored Rebecca’s provocation.

“The Ecbald tribe have always been proud of their pearl white skin, and the darkening of their skin is an ominous sign to them. It’s because it would make them look exactly like the cold-blooded enemy of their noble elven ancestors — the dark elves. I’m not the same as those Ecbalds though. I’m actually quite pleased that I look like this now. I was reborn as a dark elf from the moment that I vowed vengeance against the Mother Dragon!”

“…If that’s the case, then allow me to ask one last question.”

Rebecca spoke in a tough tone, perhaps having understood that there was no room for negotiation between both sides.

“It’s not that I can’t understand your notion of revenge, but I have doubts about how you’ve gone about it. If you just wanted to kill Mother, then there was no need for a drug that sacrificed so many human lives. Isn’t that right?”

“Hmm, you’ve got a keen eye. Naturally, my revenge isn’t going to end so soon. After the <Orphan Ceremony> ended, those Ecbald people just threw flattery at Lucca, but completely abandoned me—”

Kiira clenched her fists and then slammed one of them against the Necroplant’s trunk.

“They’re just as guilty! I’m going to ride this thing back home in triumph. And then, I’ll turn my hometown, the Ecbald Forest, into ashes!”

A dark aura erupted and enveloped Kiira’s entire body.

“They’d better be ready! This one is my Pal!”

Perhaps in response to Kiira’s feelings, the Necroplantacted abnormally.

—Doooooooooonnnnn!

Like an awakened dragon, the demonic tree’s power began to produce tremors. Like blood vessels, the roots of the tree buried in the earth gradually began to pop out. One by one, they uprooted themselves and intertwined intricately to form a set of feet. They looked like the legs of a spider.

“She can move!?”

Even Rebecca, who usually kept her cool, couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment — it was a testament to just how bizarre the image was. Both Eco and Silvia had already been frightened to the point that they could no longer speak.

“Rebecca-sama. We must hurry back to the Stone Circle and pass this news onto the Ecbald people…!”

Cosette’s tone was imbued with a rare sense of urgency.

“Retreat! Cú Chulainn!”

Rebecca decisively gave an order to Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn obediently roared and then shifted direction. Although it swiftly spread its wings and attempted to launch into the sky—

“It’s too late now!”

When Kiira yelled that, a countless number of tentacles sprouted from the body of the Necroplant. Aside from deformed roots and branches that formed some of the tentacles, there were also slender yet agile vines.

“Guuuu!”

Restrained by the tentacles, Cú Chulainn had difficulty lifting off into the sky.

“If you can’t fly then run! Get as far away from the Necroplantas you can at full speed!”

Under Rebecca’s orders, Cú Chulainn gave up on flying and instead ran like mad on the ground. Cú Chulainn’s size was the largest among the Maestros, and that meant the dense forest was disadvantageous terrain for it. However, they had no choice but to deal with the terrain disadvantage and make a break for it while they could.

“Go! Necroplant! …That’s right, since you’re my Pal, I have to give you a nice name.”

Kiira cackled with elation as she stood on the tree and then revealed a triumphant smile after thinking about the name for a while.

“…No, there’s really nothing to think of here. Your name is Gawain!” 

Cú Chulainn raced through the forest with Rebecca on its head, while Eco, Silvia and Cosette rode on its back. Eco firmly grasped onto Cú Chulainn’s back as she turned around to look back.

—Necroplant.

It was a half-dragon, half-plant life form made by having the Mother Dragon’s body absorb a drug. The huge ancient tree which once had a sacred aura had now become an alien existence that seemed neither dragon nor plant. It also used a countless number of tree roots intertwined into feet as a mode of transport. All of the birds which inhabited the forest scattered in fear. Even seemingly brave wild animals fled with their tails between their legs. Perhaps a silver lining was that the Necroplant’s movement speed was rather slow. Due to its enormous size, it constantly had to demolish all surrounding trees in order to advance forward. But, even so—

“They’re coming…!”

Eco shouted as an instinctive fear chilled her spine.

—Whip! Whip!

A vast number of vines sprouted from the Necroplant and successively commenced an assault on Cú Chulainn as their movement produced sharp whistles in the wind. No, there were more than just vines attacking.

—Boom! Boom!

The projectiles which had given Rebecca and Cú Chulainn trouble when they initially made their way into the forest returned. Scores of projectiles drew an arc in the air as they landed and exploded at Cú Chulainn’s feet. Cú Chulainn narrowly dodged the onslaught by dashing from side to side while continuing to sprint forward.

“It seems like we’ll just have to bite the bullet and confront it…”

However, Cosette dissuaded Rebecca who mumbled that on top of Cú Chulainn’s head.

“Rebecca-sama, we cannot fight right now. Our top priority is to arrive safely back at the Stone Circle. That Necroplant feels extremely abnormal.”

“Hmm. You make a logical argument, but…”

“Please allow me to take care of our defences—”

While Rebecca muttered to herself in the face of this dilemma, Cosette swiftly stood up and spun around as she looked straight behind. She then removed a short, stick-like object from one of her pockets which made a rattling metallic sound. In the blink of an eye, the stick had elongated into a silver polearm.

“Hold on! You’re not planning to use such a simple weapon against our pursuers, are you?”

While Silvia yelled out in surprise, Cosette lightly jumped up and landed on Cú Chulainn’s rear as she entered a battle stance. A ferocious aura enveloped her curvaceous body and her dense hair also stood on end. The violent imagery of her fighting aura was clearly reflected in Eco’s eyes as a dragon. In that moment, she instinctively felt even more frightened of her than the Necroplant.

“Ha!”

Cosette unleashed an astonishing aura from her body. The polearm emitted a flash of light from top to bottom! As a result, the approaching vines were mercilessly sliced apart.

—Zing! Ziiin!

The endless stream of seeds which were fired in succession were taken down by Cosette one after the other—

“Ufufu, do you see now? Rebecca-sama, please rest assured that I will take care of the rear guard. Please focus on leading all of us back to the <Gate>.”

Cosette said with a smile and a giggle. Eco and Silvia couldn’t help but stare at Cosette in wonder. Even Rebecca seemed shocked by her aura and prowess as she answered,

“I understand, Cosette-san.”

With no further objections, she gave her undivided attention to the front. After a while, Cú Chulainn roared.

“Good! We’re getting closer and closer to the <Gate>!”

Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief as she yelled back to the others. They had finally returned to the plaza containing the Stone Circle. Given that night had fallen all around them, perhaps they’d stayed in the forest for longer than they thought. A dazzling burst of light was released from the magic circle inside the Stone Circle. The magic activated by the clergy hadn’t yet lost its effectiveness.

“Go! Cú Chulainn!”

As Rebecca ordered, Cú Chulainn leapt and landed perfectly inside the Stone Circle.

Part 7

After they were shrouded in a blinding light, the group instantly regained visual clarity upon return.

“We’re finally back—!”

Eco couldn’t help but cry out loud. The clergymen led by head priestess Frederica had remained in formation around the Stone Circle.

“Head priestess, the situation is dire! Please close the gate immediately!”

Perhaps taking note of the sharpness in Rebecca’s urgent tone, Frederica asked no further questions and responded immediately.

“Close the gate!”

Following Frederica’s orders, the clergymen began to recite the chant for closing the gate. The method for closing the gate seemed simpler than it was to open it as the magic circle disappeared almost instantaneously.

“Phew…it seems we made it.”

Although Silvia felt a wave of relief, Rebecca still appeared worried as a frown hung across her face.

“Rebecca? Is something bothering you?”

In response to Eco’s question, Rebecca nodded as she said,

“Yes. I’m very curious as to how Kiira originally planned on using the Necroplant to attack the Ecbald Forest. After all, it’s theoretically impossible to travel overland from Albion Forest all the way to the Ecbald Forest.”

Eco had a sudden realisation.

“Do you mean to say that Kiira may also use the <Gate>? I thought only the clergy could open the <Gate> though?”

“I hope that’s the case. The problem is that the Necroplant’s body belongs to the Mother Dragon. When it comes to opening and closing the <Gate>—”

—Boooom!

All of a sudden, a loud boom shook the plaza. The large boulders that formed the Stone Circle were instantly blown away. At the same time, a gigantic magic circle that encompassed the entire plaza appeared on the ground. After that, tough-looking vines gradually began to emerge from the ground.

“As I thought, Kiira planned on using the <Gate> in the first place…”

Rebecca remarked in a bitter voice. After a moment—

“You Ecbald people with wax-white faces!”

Kiira slowly emerged from the magic circle.

“Kiira Brava Henriksen has returned!”

Kiira’s pose was majestic, reminiscent of a Dragonar riding on top of a dragon’s head.

“…It can’t be helped. I’ll hold things off here.”

Even when faced with a difficult and perilous situation, Rebecca maintained her composure.

“Head priestess Frederica, please take Eco and the others back to the Escavaron for refuge.”

“T-That’s fine, but…”

Frederica was visibly shaken given that she still didn’t have a clear grasp of the situation and what had happened.

“Please wait, President! You might be one of the strongest, but can you really handle this on your own?”

Silvia asked in doubt.

“Who do you take me for? I’m the Student Council President of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, Rebecca Randall.”

After making such a bold declaration, Rebecca turned her back to Eco and the others.

Part 8

Just as night was about to fall, Celes stood in front of altar at The Shrine of Jylhä. The moon had already begun to show its face in the eastern horizon. Just as anticipated, it was a perfect full moon. It was the most suitable night to perform a Dragon Riding Dance. If tonight’s opportunity was missed, they would have to wait another month.

“You’ll soon be free, Oscar.”

“Kuhh…”

Having brought Celes and Oscar here, Tristan uttered an anxious groan.

Celes spoke softly to Oscar who had been laid down next to the altar. That voice really doesn’t suit Tristan’s mighty image — Celes thought. However, Celes also felt reassured to see Tristan in good health and without any abnormalities. Even though Oscar had become a doll with no free will, she was still connected to Tristan through their Astral Flow. Moreover, she continued to supply Tristan with Astral. According to head priestess Frederica, The Shrine of Jylhä was the most sacred place in the Ecbald Autonomous Region. In other words, The Shrine of Jylhä was the location that would produce the strongest effect if Ash and Lucca were to successfully perform a Dragon Riding Dance over the forest.

“Don’t worry. Ash and Lucca will definitely succeed in their Dragon Riding Dance. I believe in them.”

Just as Celes muttered a prayer while stroking Tristan’s flank — an earth-shattering boom suddenly erupted. Vibrations buzzed through the air for a while.

“W-What? An earthquake!?”

Celes hurriedly crouched down beside Oscar. However, the tremors didn’t quite feel like an earthquake. Moreover, the sound wasn’t so much related to the ground — it sounded more like an explosion.

“Grrrrr…”

As expected, Tristan appeared to raise its guard as the fur all over its body stood erect.

Part 9

Eco, Silvia and the clergymen led by Frederica all headed straight for the Escavaron. Along the way, they all witnessed areas of the forest being continuously eroded by the Necroplant. The screams of the Ecbald Tribe echoed through the night—

“Wait, what’s happening!? Why are those tentacles coming here…isn’t Rebecca holding them off from behind!?”

Upon hearing Eco’s complaint, Frederica answered while running beside them,

“It looks like…all of the <Gates> scattered throughout this forest have been forcibly opened.”

As expected of someone bearing the great responsibilities of head priestess, Frederica was able to calmly analyse the situation even in the face of a crisis.

“What did you say!? I thought there was only one <Gate>?”

“There is a total of twelve <Gates> which link Albion Forest and the Ecbald Forest>.”

“That’s so many! If all of them have been infiltrated by the Necroplant…this is no small matter!”

Silvia said with a grim expression, while Frederica nodded solemnly in agreement.

“Please don’t worry. I know the locations of all of the <Gates>. Although it might be a long detour, as long as we avoid those locations, we should be able to arrive back to the Escavaron safely and avoid those threats.”

It seemed that they had no choice but to put their faith in Frederica and move forward.

Part 10

Several minutes later—.

Just as Frederica said, Eco and the others did not encounter any threats or obstructions along the way, and they smoothly made their way out of the forest. The majesty of the moored Escavaron entered their view. A large number of people seeking refuge had formed a crowd surrounding the magic ship. At some point, the area outside the forest had become something of a temporary shelter.

“Is there anyone with serious injuries? We’ll send you to the Escavaron’s infirmary!”

The person shouting loudly to provide instruction was Jessica. Dressed in a pink nurse’s uniform, she was doing her best to convey instructions to the crowd. Frederica paused upon seeing this.

“I will stay here to treat the wounded with Jessica. Medical treatment is also an important responsibility for the clergy.”

“I understand. Thank you for escorting us back.”

After Silvia replied, Frederica and the clergymen separated from them and headed towards the location of the refugees.

“Well, let’s head to the cockpit first. We should give aneue an update on the situation first—.”

Both Eco and Cosette nodded in agreement with Silvia’s proposal. 

Mirabel, Eunice and Anya sat in the Escavaron’s cockpit. Raymond and Max were missing because they had ridden out on their Pals to search for residents Mirabel made an annoyed groan after listening to the who might not have escaped in time. explanation from Eco and Silvia.

“The pharmacist Kiira used a drug that she developed to turn the Mother Dragon into a life form called a Necroplant…it’s quite sudden and hard to believe.”

Mirabel rested her chin on her fingers as she pondered, lost deeply in thought.

“If we use our main cannon to bombard the Necroplant’s body…the resulting aftershock and collateral may destroy the homes of the Ecbald Tribe. Moreover, Ash and Eco should be coming back soon. Just as previously predicted, tonight is a perfect full moon. It seems like we’ll have to protect Ash and Lucca while they perform the Dragon Riding Dance, and at the same time—”

“Excuse me.”

At that moment, the entrance to the cockpit was opened and Chief Lars entered the room. Bandages were wrapped all over his body, he looked bruised all over, and he could only walk with the assistance of crutches.

“I’m deeply ashamed, Mirabel-dono. As the Chief, I should be the one who stands up to protect his people, but I’m the first one who has lost the ability to fight…we’ve also forced you to use the Escavaron as a shelter despite its invaluable combat power…I’m truly sorry.”

Although Lars was old and weakened, he was still a magnificent Dragonar. He was also a great veteran of the Xenoglavia War. However, even a seasoned verteran like Lars had instantly suffered defeat. This only reinforced the incredible strength of the Necroplant in Eco’s mind. If this continued, it would only be a matter of time before the entire Ecbald Forest was completely destroyed. Rebecca would also be in grave danger since she was all alone.

However, Ash and Lucca had still yet to return. In the first place, Ash and Lucca’s mission was to successfully perform a Dragon Riding Dance in order to save Oscar. They couldn’t hope to rely on them as part of the combat force. Frustratingly, because Ash had chosen Lancelot as his Pal for the mission, Silvia was unable to fight and thus forced to retreat. Moreover, Eco didn’t have the courage to transform into Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor without Ash’s presence. In the past, Eco was only able to liberate that form with confidence because Ash was there as her knight. Without Ash by her side, it was possible that she’d lose control of herself just like that time when she was forcibly awakened by the Imperial Army. 

“—Eco. As things stand, it seems we have no choice but to pin our hopes on you.”

Having remained silent until now, Silvia finally spoke as she placed a hand on Eco’s shoulder. Silvia probably felt the same way as Eco because she couldn’t enact any change on her own. However, the thing that Eco feared the most right now was someone urging her into battle.

“B-But I…if Ash isn’t here as my knight…I don’t have the confidence that I’ll be able to maintain my consciousness the whole time.”

“Is now the time for such listless words? Look at what’s going on around you! We won’t survive without your power!”

Silvia’s words were perfectly reasonable. If possible, Eco also wanted to do her part for everyone. But, if Eco transformed without the certainty of having Ash by her side, what would happen in the off chance that things didn’t go well? A terrifying vision surfaced in Eco’s mind. The Escavaron completely ravaged. The forest a sea of flames.

“What!? Aren’t you the same? Without Lancelot, you’ve decided that all you can do is stand by and watch…why are you telling me to go by myself? That’s just mean!”

No. That’s not what I actually wanted to say — even though that’s what she thought, Eco had lashed out at Silvia anyway, speaking hurtful words in the heat of the moment.

“You…!”

Silvia raised her right hand, and Eco instinctively shut her eyes. …However, the pain that she anticipated never came to pass.

“Silvia?”

Eco gingerly opened her eyes. She saw Silvia standing before her with her right fist raised but unmoving. And then, Silvia made a ridiculous proposal that overturned all of Eco’s expectations.

“If that’s the case, then why don’t I ride you!? How about that?”

Eco stared straight ahead. She couldn’t figure out what Silvia meant at all.

“Huh!? Of course not! Dragons don’t allow anyone other than their contracted master to ride them! All students at the Dragon Riding Academy should know at least that much as part of their common knowledge!”

“Of course. That’s precisely why I proposed the idea! I’m certain that I’ll be able to pair up with you!”

Silvia folded her arms and proudly puffed out her chest.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am serious. If you feel uneasy about being alone, then I’ll substitute for Ash as your partner. My Pal just so happens to be absent anyway.”

“We’re going to join forces since both of our partners are missing? I have to warn you that getting thrown off me isn’t the worst thing that could happen…I might even trample you to death, you know?”

“That doesn’t matter. I believe in you, Eco.”

“What!?”

Eco was so embarrassed that her cheeks felt like they were ablaze.

“Aren’t you Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor!? I don’t believe that you’re the same as other dragons. You’re not going to get so mad that you lose your mind just because someone other than your master is riding you.”

“That would be the ideal situation…argh! Cosette, can’t you try and persuade Silvia!? If you’re her personal servant, you should step forward and remind her when she’s wrong!”

However, Cosette revealed a soft smile.

“I believe that if Princess-sama and Eco work together, you’ll be victorious and will return safely in triumph.”

“Oh…both of you are seriously idiots!”

Despite her somewhat blunt reply, Eco extended her fist towards Silvia. Silvia also smiled as she extended her fist. After they briefly bumped fists — Eco and Silvia swiftly marched out of the cockpit.

“What troublesome children…. They didn’t even discuss it with me before setting off like that.”

After Mirabel sighed and complained, a smile spread across Anya’s face as she sat in the navigator’s seat.

“I think Eco and Her Highness Silvia will be alright though.”

“I hope so…”

At that moment, an alarm for emergency communications suddenly went off.

“Who is it at a time like this?”

“Connecting!”

Anya quickly activated the communications device.

[Mirabel-sensei, bad news!]

The person who appeared on-screen was Raquel IV. Raquel’s expression appeared to be one of panic, and this gave Mirabel an ominous premonition. What was there that could throw Raquel into a state of panic at this time — there seemed to be only a single possibility.

[…Civil war has finally broken out in the Chevron Kingdom!]

Sure enough, Mirabel’s ominous premonition came to pass.

“So those aiming for the throne started a war before the mourning period for Zacharias III was over?”

[Indeed…at present, the forces that support the Second Prince as the legitimate heir and the coalition forces of the Fourth and Fifth Princes have begun a small-scale battle. The other princes are also aggressively preparing for battle. In the worst-case scenario, the entire Kingdom may turn into a battlefield…]

Since it was rare to see Raquel in such a state of panic, Mirabel couldn’t help but laugh despite knowing that her reaction was somewhat rude.

[Huh!? W-Why are you laughing when there’s an emergency, sensei?]

“It’s nothing. I just thought that the sight of you panicking was a very age-appropriate reaction.”

[T-That’s enough! Mirabel-sensei!]

“Don’t worry. I have faith in Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. Moreover, I also believe in the strength of the young man named Ash Blake—”

“The Death of Mother ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Chapter 8 – Twin-Winged Oratorio

Part 1

“I am the true descendant of the illustrious Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Family…mine own name is Eco Pendragon Aurora…”

Eco immediately tossed <Avalon’s Bracelet> up into the air as soon as she jumped out of the magical ship. After chanting her lengthy full name, she loudly declared,

“I shall bewray mine own true form here!”

Her petite body was instantly enveloped by a dazzling radiance. An enormous amount of magical energy erupted from her body as gale force winds swirled about.

“Hmm. It’s still just as spectacular…”

Silvia stood on the Escavaron’s deck as she gazed down at Eco’s transformation, but just moments later, she became the one who was gazed down upon.

Three mighty angular horns. A silvery pink mane. Bright red eyes which seemed to peer into the abyss of the world. Her enormous body made the Escavaron look like a mere toy. An elegant piece of jewellery hung around her neck. The majestic Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor sat alongside the Escavaron. Perhaps bewildered by the inconsistency between her mind and her body, Eco momentary looked a bit dazed — but she abruptly shifted her gaze to Silvia who stood upon the deck.

“Grrr…”

Beads of cold sweat dripped down Silvia’s forehead. Without Ash, did Eco really have no way of maintaining her own will?

“Calm down, Eco!”

If an ungoverned Eco went out of control here, not only would the Escavaron be wrecked, the entire Ecbald Autonomous Region could also be destroyed. All of their efforts until now would be in vain. Although avoidance of this outcome was necessary, Eco turned a deaf ear to Silvia as she made a heavy stomp.

“Grrr…”

Silvia was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes and her knees trembled unwillingly.

“Guuu…”

Through her slightly opened mouth, Eco’s densely packed teeth could be seen.

“Eco, no! I can assure you that I don’t taste good at all!”

Silvia slumped to the ground, frightened to the point that she almost wet herself—

“Ah.”

However, Eco’s demeanour instantly softened as she extended her right forelimb out. It seemed as though she was beckoning for Silvia to get on.

“Y-You…you were purposely toying with me, weren’t you!?”

Silvia grumbled in anger as she sat on Eco’s forelimb. Eco then lifted her forelimb and carried Silvia to the top of her head. Although the height made Silvia feel a little timid, she eventually found the courage to stand firm. Eco had clearly maintained her consciousness. Silvia no longer had anything to be afraid of. Although sweating profusely, a smile of relief spread across Silvia’s face.

“Let’s go, Eco! Our goal is the Necroplant’s body!”

“Uoooooooooooooooh…!”

Along with a thundering roar, Eco’s three horns and the sharp claws on all of her limbs glowed pink. And then, she soared into the night as if slashing the darkness apart—.

Part 2

At the same time, in The Shrine of Jylhä’s <Inner Sanctuary>.

“Haa, haa, haa, haa…”

Ash spread himself on the ground, panting breathlessly and sweating profusely.

“Haa, haa, hu…”

Lucca also lay beside Ash, similarly exhausted. The way that her sweaty silvery hair clung to her cheeks was somewhat enticing. Both Ash and Lucca’s fatigue had reached its limits. They had hardly slept these past two days as they desperately continued their training. Casting their gaze to the lake, Lancelot and Gawain could also be seen grazing there to rest. Maestros were certainly in a league of their own — their expressions and breathing appeared calm and steady. It seemed as if they still had the stamina to take off into the skies again.

“Hey, Lucca…”

Despite his exhaustion, Ash managed to summon a small ounce of strength. He turned his face to the side and began a conversation with Lucca.

“Was my earlier performance worthy of around eighty points?”

Lucca sat up and gazed at the sky. A faint outline of the trajectory that Ash and Lucca had made was still visible in the sky. It was a twin-winged emblem majestically splayed out across the sky. Ash thought that he’d done a pretty decent job, but—

“…Seventy points.”

Contrary to his expectations, Lucca’s scoring standards were rather strict.

“Really…”

Ash dejectedly looked down as if disappointed. Having said that, it was the first time that he had scored seventy points, so it was a definite improvement.

“If I had another month, no, even if I only had another two weeks…”

After voicing his grievances, Ash gazed into Lucca’s eyes.

—It’s fine. I believe that you can do it, Ash.

—You’re right. I also have faith in you, Lucca.

They were able to communicate with each other just by making eye contact. Putting their Dragon Riding Dance performance aside, the mental results were certainly sufficient. After learning about how the other thought, a spontaneous surge of confidence arose between them. Lucca opened a flask and then poured tea into the lid which acted as a teacup.

“Here, Ash.”

“Oh, thank you — wait, isn’t this thick black liquid that one?”

“Yes, this is the last cup…<Arlandel’s Spiritual Herbal Tea>.”

“I see, I think it’s best that you drink it yourself, Lucca…”

“No. You’re more exhausted than me, Ash.”

“In that case…”

After drinking half the cup, Ash handed it back over to Lucca.

“Mmm…thank you.”

After staring at the edge of the flask lid for a while, Lucca finally drank its remaining contents. After drinking it, both of Lucca’s ears went bright red and she averted her eyes from him. In the past, Ash might’ve felt confused by such an expression. However, Ash was no longer the same. He immediately realised that Lucca’s mind was filled with thoughts of an indirect kiss. Ash began to feel embarrassed simply because he’d gotten caught up in Lucca’s mood. It was at that moment — a flash of light burst before their eyes, and a shining door emerged out of thin air.

“Whoa! What is that…?”

Ash widened his eyes as Celes peered across from the edge of the door.

“So this is where the two of you are!”

“Celes? Is this door your doing…?”

“Of course not! When I brought Oscar to The Shrine of Jylhä in preparation…the door suddenly appeared by itself!”

“…How did that happen?”

Ash wondered to himself, and Lucca murmured,

“It seems like the time has come. That’s why…the door opened automatically.”

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

“Now is not the time to leisurely nod and ponder! Do you know how critical the situation outside is!?”

Celes’ right eye emitted a fierce glow.

“If you don’t come up with something, the entire Ecbald Forest may get wiped out!”

Upon hearing that, both Ash and Lucca stood blankly on the spot, completely dumbfounded.

Part 3

Once Eco was in flight, Silvia looked down upon the vast forest that lay below.

“Hmm…what should I say?”

The Necroplant continued to erode the forest as it slowly moved forward. On the other hand, the <Gates> that totalled a number of twelve illuminated a pale light which clearly disclosed their location from the sky above.

“It’s already too late to start destroying the <Gates> one by one. We’ve got no choice but to take down the main body directly.”

While Silvia muttered that to herself, she was suddenly shocked by something that caught her eye. The Shrine of Jylhä was located along the Necroplant’s current path.

“No! We have to stop it from getting close to the shrine!”

Regardless of how powerful Kiira was, she was probably unaware of the fact that Ash and Lucca were currently training in the <Inner Sanctuary>. It had probably become Kiira’s top target of destruction purely because it was a sacred site for the Ecbalds.

—I absolutely can’t allow the Necroplant to get close to The Shrine of Jylhä—!

Silvia knelt down on one knee and gently stroked Eco’s head.

“Eco, do you understand me? First, hit the enemy from the side to change their direction of travel! After that, drive them out of the forest!”

That was the plan that Silvia had come up with. In fact, allowing Eco to use a breath of fire was the most effective way, but the breath of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor was too powerful. It would not be worthwhile if the forest was transformed into a patch of scorched earth. Eco followed the instructions and glided ahead steadily.

—Zoooooooooon!

Eco then landed directly beside the Necroplant. Due to her rapid descent from the skies, her enormous body and tail crushed a large area of the forest. Although Silvia felt somewhat heartbroken by this, there was no choice but to seek forgiveness from the Ecbald Tribe for collateral damage of this level.

“Uoooooooooooh!”

Eco let loose a tremendous roar as she stood up on her hind legs. As Silvia’s perspective was elevated to a higher degree, she once again had a panoramic view of the vast forest.

“Let’s go!”

As Silvia shouted, Eco’s hind legs forcefully kicked the ground.

—Dooooon!

A loud noise and earthquake shook the entire forest, as if two large mountains had collided with each other. Eco’s sturdy forelimbs pushed against the trunk of the Necroplant. Her sharp claws pierced into the bark, and thick black sap trickled down like streams of blood. Despite the immense pressure that Eco exerted on it, the Necroplant remained on course, insistent on advancing in the direction of The Shrine of Jylhä.

“Grrrr…!”

“Don’t give up!”

Just as Silvia cried out as if in prayer—

“Ha! So even a glorious Dragonar can be at their wit’s end, huh? There is a limit to stupidity though!”

A spiteful taunt came from atop the Necroplant.

“Open your eyes and feast them upon this!”

With a cruel snicker, Kiira snapped her fingers. In response to that signal, the Necroplant stopped moving. After a while, an entanglement of vines slowly descended from above.

“Wha—!?”

Silvia gasped. Like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web — a completely constricted Rebecca was dangled before her eyes.

“President!”

Silvia yelled as her face turned pale. Rebecca’s entire body was limp, and she gave no response. She had probably fainted and fallen unconscious, or perhaps — a most terrifying thought flashed through Silvia’s mind. Silvia’s fists trembled in disbelief. Her bright red Ark had vanished. Her uniform was in tatters and it looked like torn rags that clung to her skin. Fresh red scars could clearly be seen on her exposed skin.

“Grrr…”

Eco was probably taken aback by this as well. She seemed to release a regretful, low-pitched growl from the depths of her throat.

“Don’t worry, there’s still breath in her yet. Fufu…”

“Are you using her as a hostage? How despicable!”

“What are you talking about it? Even without any hostages, as long as I have Gawain here with me, I’ll be able to wipe the Ecbald Tribe off the face of this world in a single night.”

“If that’s the case, what’s your intention in capturing her…?”

“It’s plain and simple. I just want to see what expressions humans make in their moment of despair — just like your face right now. It’s gorgeous. Haha!”

“I can’t believe a woman as deplorable as you can exist in this world!”

Silvia clenched her fists as her body quivered.

“Hmph. I didn’t want myself to turn out like this. The Mother Dragon is to blame as the ultimate culprit.”

“…The Mother Dragon’s criteria are indeed strict. If not for a true miracle, I would have dropped out of the selection.”

Indeed, on that fateful day when she was seven years old — Silvia had also participated in the <Orphan Ceremony>. If she had participated alone, there was no doubt that she’d have been eliminated. However, she happened to run into Ash, and that reversed her situation. Lancelot, who was originally meant to be awarded to Ash, ended up residing in Silvia’s body.

“—But, Kiira! Even if you were eliminated, it’s far too unreasonable for you to resent the Mother Dragon!”

“You’re only able to say such self-righteous words because you succeeded in becoming a Breeder! You wouldn’t understand the pain of not being chosen!”

“You are…certainly correct. However, even if my position differs from yours, there’s one thing that I can say with certainty — it’s not the Mother Dragon’s fault that you’ve been reduced to what you are now!”

“…Oh. Then, pray, tell me whose fault it is then?”

“Naturally, it was caused by your own weakness!”

Silvia fearlessly declared.

“What!?”

For the first time, Kiira seemed to waver.

“I was once a weak person myself, so that’s how I can relate. In the past, I always put a wall up around myself to keep others at a distance.  But in truth, I was just afraid that other people would see through my weaknesses…”

“…What are you trying to say?”

Just as Kiira interrupted Silvia, something in a bush shone brightly. The light flickered on and off like some kind of signal. Silvia confirmed the source of light in the periphery of her vision without making a move as she continued to stare at Kiira.

“If not for a friend, I’d have spent all of my time and effort on study and dragon training…I wouldn’t be who I am now if I didn’t get to know Ash. At the very least, I can say with confidence that I’m stronger than I was before! And that’s why I can’t help but look down on your weakness, Kiira!”

“Tsk. You’re damn talkative…!”

“To begin with, did you ever consider Lucca’s feelings after you abandoned your hometown? If you truly regarded Lucca as a precious friend, you should’ve offered your blessings to her! But, given how narrow-minded you are…I’m guessing you didn’t even say ‘congratulations’, right?”

“…!”

Seeing Kiira pause to gasp, Silvia seized the opportunity to continue her assault.

“Even if you couldn’t become a Breeder, there were still so many ways that you could have lived your life as Lucca’s friend, right!? In the end, you’re just frustrated that you lost to Lucca, and became corrupted because you couldn’t bear to face the reality of it — you’re an immature brat!”

“What…did…you…say…?”

While Kiira was still stunned, Silvia jumped up.

“Give me an Ark!”

“Guuuuuuuuuuuu!”

After Eco roared, a blue light engulfed Silvia’s body. In an instant, Silvia had transformed into a majestic princess knight. With a golden crown on her head, the armour that covered her body was as radiant as the brilliant full moon that hung in the night sky. Although it was only a replica that Eco had constructed, it was common knowledge that it was just as good as the original. Silvia flew through the air, summoning her Ark Weapon.

“Dragonar Gun Arondight — [Royal Halberd]!”

A pale light erupted from the muzzle of the manifested Dragonar Gun. With a flash of light, the vines that entangled Rebecca were instantly torn apart. Rebecca’s body drifted through the air.

“Damn you!”

As Kiira yelled, the Necroplant tried to recapture Rebecca once more.

“Now, Cú Chulainn!”

As Silvia shouted, Cú Chulainn, who had been waiting in ambush among the forestry lurched forward.

“Uoooooooooohhhhh!”

It extended its forelimbs to catch Rebecca, and then flapped its injured wings to fly away. It escaped the onslaught of the Necroplant in the nick of time. 

“Excellent, we rescued the President!”

Having returned to Eco’s head, Silvia clenched her fists after watching Cú Chulainn fly towards the Escavaron. Silvia had taken note of an earlier signal that Cú Chulainn was lying in ambush nearby in the forest. The flickers of light in the periphery of Silvia’s vision were none other than Cú Chulainn’s signal. Thanks to that signal, Silvia understood what Cú Chulainn’s intentions were. Given its severe injuries, the best thing that Cú Chulainn could do was a tactical retreat with Rebecca.

“You damn bitch! Did you deliberately say all of that just to make an opening!?”

Contrary to the fury that Kiira displayed, Silvia remained calm.

“That was one of my intentions. I had to cooperate with Cú Chulainn in order to safely rescue the President. However, I didn’t say all of that just to upset you, Kiira. If you can’t even understand that, then you really are just a shallow child.”

“Nghh…”

“You can’t even find the words to deny it? Very well, it’s our turn to attack! Eco, we have to push the Necroplant out of the forest for sure this time!”

“Graaa!”

Following Silvia’s order, Eco bared all of fangs as she roared. Magical energy erupted from her entire body, and the surrounding area was filled with a radiant silvery light. Eco charged forward, hitting the Necroplant with everything that she could muster. The violent impact caused the earth to tremor.

“Goooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhh!”

Eco then extended her forelimbs and slowly pushed the Necroplant away. The Necroplant’s body finally began shifting to the side.

“Damned thing—!”

Just as Kiira prepared to give new orders to the Necroplant—. Silvia pointed to the sky — or more precisely, to the full moon that illuminated the night sky with incredible luminosity.

“Kiira, keep your eyes open and look carefully. The moon is beautiful tonight. I’m sure it’s the perfect stage for those two to show off their skills.”

“…What does that mean?”

Just as Kiira murmured in a low voice — two specks of light with elongated trails flew into the night sky, unleashing a dazzling brilliance. Like rising meteors that went against all common sense, they soared into the sky at an alarming speed.

“That is…!”

“It’s time for you to stand in awe now!”

“It can’t be—!”

“That’s right, it’s Ash and Lucca!”

After making that loud declaration, she revealed a triumphant smile. In the centre of the night sky — Ash and Lucca flew at extremely high speed as they gradually traced the outline of a twin-winged emblem.

“That’s impossible! The only Dragon Riding Dance that needs two Dragonars is the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. But, why…?”

“It’s obviously so that the curse of <Galatea> can be lifted! In order to save Oscar, and to save the Chevron Kingdom which can only be protected with Oscar’s help — those two are risking their lives as they resolutely challenge the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’!”

“Huh, so that’s what it’s for. Certainly, it might be possible to heal her with the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. But, you’re all deluded! It’s impossible for any race other than the Ecbald Tribe to perform a Dragon Riding Dance!”

“Whether it’s impossible or not, I’ll let you be the judge of that after you see the two of them dance for yourself!”

—Zoon!

Echoing Silvia’s enthusiasm, Eco also continued to push forward with all her might. The Necroplant’s body continued to be pushed all the way to the western end of the forest.

“You can do it, Eco! Once we push it to the plains outside the forest, we won’t have to worry about the safety of the Ecbald Tribe anymore, so we can set the Necroplant ablaze!”

After Silvia yelled with an energetic voice, Eco responded in kind with a spirited roar. At that moment—.

Part 4

Kiira was confused. Dancing the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with Lucca was the dream that Kiira once had. It was a dream that could never be achieved. Logically speaking, there was no one in this world capable of acting as Lucca’s partner. That was the only consolation that Kiira had. She didn’t want to see anyone else dance the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ with Lucca. She didn’t even want to imagine it. It was something forever impossible — a dream that no one could make come true. Because of that, Kiira treated it as a good memory that she locked deep in her heart. However — as if to forcibly pry open the treasure chest that she kept hidden deep in her heart…the twin-winged emblem gradually took shape in the night sky, stroke by stroke. Even from a distance, it was clear that their flight speed was beyond imagination. No, it wasn’t just their speed that was surprising. The coordination and synchronisation of Ash and Lucca was incredible. Unless the two of them truly understood and deeply trusted one another, it would be impossible for them to match each other so seamlessly. The two of them were firmly united in the depths of their hearts—.

“Tsk. You guys…it seems like any more chatter will be useless.”

Once her anger tipped over its boiling point, her mind gradually regained its calm. Kiira had experienced similar mental states like this in the past.

“…Gawain, show off your flying skills too!”

Part 5

After Kiira shouted, the entire Necroplant began to act odd. Magical energy gushed out of its body like a raging wave. The Necroplant was clearly affected by Kiira’s emotions.

“This isn’t good! Get away from it!”

“Grrr!”

Eco obeyed Silvia’s instructions, jumping away to maintain a distance from the Necroplant. A whirlwind of magical energy appeared to surround the Necroplant now. The surrounding trees were snapped in half one after another.

“Kuh!”

Silvia struggled to stay firmly planted on Eco’s head. If not for the assistance that her Ark provided, she probably would’ve been blown away by the powerful winds.

—Dodododododododododododo…!

The earth rumbled as a tremendous boom rung out.

“…The Necroplant is floating? She really plans on having such an enormous mass fly into the air!? Besides, does a plant-based life form…really have a way to fly!?”

As if to defy Silvia’s notion of common sense — the Necroplant slowly floated into the air. The absurdity of it was like watching a city float into the air. A hazy cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring Silvia’s vision. Dirt and rubble fell from the sky, blowing towards Silvia along with the gusty winds.

“Kuh…!”

The harsh conditions made it impossible for Silvia to even keep her eyes open. All she could do was lie on Eco’s head as she endured the strong winds. However, the air pressure only continued to increase, almost breaking through the protection granted by her Ark.

“Guuuuhhh…!”

Even despite her enormous body, Eco was unable to resist the force of the winds as she was steadily forced to retreat.

“Hold on, Eco!”

“Guuuhh…!”

After a while, the wind gradually died down. Silvia looked up in amazement.

“That can’t be…”

The Necroplant was well and truly flying. Its creepy appearance was exposed for all to see under the illumination of moonlight. It was almost as if scenes from the end of the world were being played out before their eyes.

“—My Pal Gawain! Concentrate all of your magical energy on offense!”

The Necroplant began to act erratically as soon as Kiira screamed her new orders. Branches, vines and tree roots entwined with each other intricately, gradually constructing a long and thick cylinder. Silvia’s eyes widened. The Necroplant’s entire shape and appearance had transformed in order to strengthen its offensive ability. It eventually became a floating fortress, with a cannon that could rival even the main gun of a large magical ship. Its new form completely complied with Kiira’s orders, and it poured all of its magical energy into an attack. The muzzle was clearly aimed at a corner of the night sky — where Ash and Lucca were.

“Damn it! She’s totally serious!”

Silvia was in awe as she understood Kiira’s intentions. If such a large calibre magical cannon was to be fired, it would not only hinder their Dragon Riding Dance, but it would also result in collateral damage for Ash and Lucca. Kiira had gone astray in the first place because of her zealous obsession with Lucca. And now, she wanted to mercilessly kill Lucca—

“Eco! We can’t let her have her way no matter what!”

“Uooooooooooohhh!”

In response to Silvia, Eco ascended from the ground with a flutter of her wings.

“As if!”

Kiira barked as she stood above them on the Necroplant. A countless number of vines rained down from the sky and attacked Eco. In an instant, Eco’s limbs and wings had become entangled.

—Pew! Pew!

In addition, a stream of seed pellets struck her in succession. Attacked on both sides by a web of vines and a barrage of seeds, it became increasingly difficult for them to approach the Necroplant. Seizing the moment in which Eco was constrained, the Necroplant’s body began to glow green. It looked like it was accumulating magical energy. Silvia couldn’t help but shudder as she sensed an immense magical reaction.

“I’ll set you free straight away!”

After Silvia raised the [Royal Halberd] up, she used the power of her Ark to soar through the air. She circled around Eco’s body, cutting away at the branches and vines that entangled Eco’s limbs.

“Good, now you can fly—”

Just as Silvia cut the last vine and shouted back to Eco…

—Boom!

A seed pellet landed a direct hit on Silvia’s abdomen.

“Kuha!”

The powerful impact generated a crack in her Ark, and her body lost its buoyancy — causing her to fall into the ocean of trees.

Part 6

—Silvia was shot down!

In disbelief, Eco prepared to land so that she could locate and retrieve Silvia.

[Don’t, Eco. Do you want Silvia’s efforts to be in vain? Before the next wave of attacks arrive, you must protect Ash and Lucca from the Necroplant’s magic cannon.]

Navi dissuaded Eco via telepathic communication.

—But, I can’t just abandon her like that…!

[Don’t worry about Silvia. I sensed signs of life from her, and her damaged Ark is also functioning as a life support system.]

—But…

[If Silvia was still here and conscious, what do you think she would tell you?]

Despite Navi’s calm tone of voice, her words seemed to stick in Eco’s mind. It seemed as though Eco immediately sobered up as a result.

—I understand!

After shrouding her entire body in magical energy, Eco flew up and made a beeline for the Necroplant which floated above. While doing so, she also dodged left and right to evade the seed projectiles fired at her. Unlike the somewhat unpredictable nature of the vines, the trajectory of these projectiles was quite simple. Even so, the barrage of seeds was a fierce wall that prevented Eco from advancing, and the Necroplant seized this opportunity to widen their distance. Growing increasingly anxious, Eco asked Navi for assistance.

—Navi! What do I have to do to stop her!?

[Well…since it’s already transformed into this, the only way is to shoot through the core.]

—Core? You mean that the Necroplant has a weakness? Besides, how do you know!?

[Oh, don’t forget that I am the Dragweiss. Of course I know about the Mother Dragon’s biological structure.]

—So, if the Mother Dragon’s weakness was her core, then the same goes for the Necroplant?

[Good answer. Since the Necroplant was transformed from the biological tissue of the Mother Dragon as its base, it would inevitably have the same weakness. However, its outer skin is composed of extremely thick tissue, and even you may not be able to penetrate the core…I can’t guarantee it.]

Just as Navi sighed…

“Magical energy has been charged! Take aim at the target!”

Kiira sharply yelled. The Necroplant’s cannon barrel began to move in accordance with those instructions. The cannon slowly fine-tuned its angle and direction as it prepared to bombard Ash and Lucca who were soaring back and forth through the night sky.

—Kuh! It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to stop it! In that case…!

Eco steeled her determination. If there was no way for her to stop the bombardment from happening, then she would just have to act as a sacrificial shield.

—No matter what, I can’t let it disturb Ash and Lucca…!

Eco quickly changed course after giving up on approaching the Necroplant. Even if she did manage to break through the seed barrage and web of vines to approach the Necroplant, it would be difficult for her to stagger the gigantic fortress. In that case, it was more pragmatic for her to act as Ash and Lucca’s shield instead. Eco darted off at full speed and then stopped at the midpoint that stood between the Necroplant and Ash and Lucca.

—Navi! Teach me how to cast the most durable defensive magic shield!

[Understood. I will teach you the sturdiest of all magical barriers, the absolute defence — <Sacred Shield>.]

Navi agreed to Eco’s request without any further words.

Part 7

“Now, fire!”

Immediately after Kiira’s order, a powerful flash of light erupted through the air, almost whitening the entirety of the night sky. The accumulated magical energy of the fortress-like Necroplant gushed from the muzzle without reservation. The magical energy became an astonishingly thick beam of light which pierced through the sky from bottom to top.

“Uooooooooohhhhh!”

Positioned along the direct path between the Necroplant and Ash, Eco let loose a deafening roar and then deployed a shield in front of her to defend against the magic attack. The emblem of the ultimate shield was one and the same as the family crest of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor. While the shield exuded a noble lustre reminiscent of a diamond, it endured the magical beam that was fired from the Necroplant.

“Impertinence! Hurry up and blast straight through that obstruction!”

Under Kiira’s orders, the magical cannon’s firepower visibly and significantly increased. Even so, Eco obstinately resisted. She stubbornly remained in the line of fire and showed no intention of retreat from her position. While Eco desperately endured the assault, Ash and Lucca continued their dance in the air. The outline of the pair of wings had already been completed to perfection. They would probably be done once the feather lines were drawn. At some point, the pair of wings drawn by the Dragon Riding Dance just so happened to overlap with Eco’s wings.

“That is…!”

Kiira’s eyes widened and she fell silent. In her eyes, it was as if another pair of wings had sprouted from Eco’s back.

Part 8

—Kuh. What’s going on in the forest!?

Ash’s mind was filled with various doubts as he performed the Dragon Riding Dance. In a corner of his vision, he spotted Eco’s transformed figure as Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor. Amidst the dark forest, Eco’s fur had a silvery glow that revealed her location. Even without Ash there to act as her knight, she had made her own decision to join the battle, and that was a testament to the seriousness of the situation. Moreover, it was obvious that Eco had put herself in the role of a sacrificial shield in order to protect Ash and Lucca’s airspace.

—Eco…!

Ash clenched his teeth. Circumstances permitting, he hoped to be by Eco’s side as soon as possible.

—Voom!

Suddenly, the wind rustled his ears as Lancelot and Gawain passed by each other closely in the air.

“Kuh!”

The distance between them was only a finger’s width at best. If their trajectory deviated even slightly, there was the possibility of a head-on collision. The moment that they passed by Gawain, Ash took notice of one thing — Lucca’s eyes seemed to be telling him something. She felt the same pain as Ash.

—That’s right. I must focus on the Dragon Riding Dance for now…!

Eco and the others had stepped up and fought hard. Even if Ash ditched the Dragon Riding Dance to help them — would they actually feel happy about it? No, it was the exact opposite. Doing so would be tantamount to a betrayal of Eco and the others. Ash cleared his mind and averted his gaze from Eco. He then gave the Dragon Riding Dance his undivided attention. Once they reached the second half, the difficulty of the dance continuously increased. From here on, not a single distraction was allowed. The wind screeched again as Lancelot and Gawain passed by each other in the air. In that fleeting instant, Ash and Lucca’s eyes met. This time, Lucca seemed to respond with a smile.

Part 9

—Kuh! The shield won’t hold for much longer…! What kind of magic is she using!? This is insane!

Eco had been pushed to the brink of desperation. By following Navi’s guidance, she had successfully deployed the <Sacred Shield>. However, the Necroplant’s attack showed no signs of weakening or pause, in fact, it felt as though it was an endless stream of magic. At some point, Eco had become cornered. The <Sacred Shield> that she had managed to put up would soon be gone.

—Navi, how is this possible!?

[As expected of a monster that has been transformed from the biological tissue of the Mother Dragon, its magical energy is on another level. After all, the Mother Dragon accumulated a tremendous amount of magical energy during her long history…]

Navi’s tone also seemed to convey a slight sense of urgency.

[The situation isn’t good. If this goes on, you won’t be able to protect Ash and Lucca…]

—Argh, enough! If you’re going to say such pointless things, you might as well just shut up! Even if the <Sacred Shield> disappears, I won’t leave this spot!

[Eco, what are you trying to do!?]

—Isn’t it obvious!? I have this uselessly big body! I’ll use my body as a shield!

Eco could clearly imagine the look on Navi’s face as she gasped. She was surely stunned. Eco herself recognised that this was an irrational act. Despite having the body of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor, it wouldn’t last long against such an astonishingly powerful magical cannon. Even so — this was where she had to hold her ground. She absolutely couldn’t allow Ash and Lucca’s Dragon Riding Dance to be interrupted…! Unexpectedly, Navi didn’t seem to have any intention of dissuading Eco.

[…You’ve gotten stronger, Eco.]

Instead, she gave her blessing like a mother to a child, gently encouraging Eco. And so — the <Sacred Shield> collapsed. The royal crest of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor family fragmented, shattering into magic crystals that scattered through the air like snowflakes.

—It’s coming!

And then, a tremendous amount of heat assaulted Eco’s body. Eco hastily outstretched her forelimbs in order to catch the blast of magical energy. The tremendous impact almost caused Eco to fall out of the sky. However, she clenched her teeth and held steady. An incredible burning sensation spread from her palm all the way through her entire forearm.

—It’s so hot! How is it this hot…!?

A sensation of pain that could knock her out at any instant coursed through Eco’s body. Despite the immense torture that she endured, she remained steadfast in holding her position. After all, Ash and Lucca were performing a Dragon Riding Dance behind Eco—. Eco didn’t make a single sound as she simply swallowed all of the groans that the pain might have induced. If she let out a single moan, Ash would immediately hear and understand. As such, Eco couldn’t reveal any single piece of information which could inform Ash of her suffering. Ash’s first and foremost task right now was to complete the Dragon Riding Dance. Therefore, Eco decided to sacrifice herself in order to protect Ash as his Pal!

—Nothing will make me back down—!

Just as Eco roared in her mind as a means of self-reassurance…

—Huh?

The power of the Necroplant’s magical attack suddenly weakened.

—What’s happening…?

Eco felt confused. It stood to reason that the Necroplant’s body should still have a lot of magical energy stored up. Yet, its offensive power gradually declined — eventually, it came to a complete halt. In the next moment, a powerful light obscured all of Eco’s vision. The light gave off an extremely peaceful and warm feeling, much like the gentle spring light that spilled through the crevices of foliage in a forest.

Part 10

“This place is…?”

Having returned to the form of a human girl, Eco tilted her head in confusion as she found her entire body shrouded by a white light. Here, her sense of direction became ambiguous as she couldn’t tell front from back or left from right, and the soles of her feet also seemed to float in the air.

“—Eco.”

At that moment, upon hearing a charismatic voice calling her name, Eco turned around and looked back. A graceful woman stood there in silence. She had green hair and emerald eyes. Upon her head were the horns of an adult dragon.

“Are you…the Mother Dragon?”

When Eco asked with hesitation and confusion, the woman nodded.

“You still have a consciousness!”

“No, strictly speaking…I’m already dead. To put it another way…I’m a fragment of the Mother Dragon’s memories, I should say.”

“I don’t understand if it’s that complicated! The thing is, what’s going on…with this current situation?”

Eco turned and looked around.

“Eco, listen to me carefully. My body is under the complete control of Kiira Brava Henriksen’s drug. However, your inner cry has awakened me, albeit temporarily.”

“…!”

Eco held her breath as she gazed at the Mother Dragon’s face.

“From here on…I’ll use all of my strength to interfere with the Necroplant so that I can create a unique opportunity for you. Please…you must seize the opportunity to extinguish that abominable Necroplant.”

“…I understand.”

In truth, there were so many things that Eco wanted to say. After all, the person before her was like her mother. However, upon actually meeting each other, the words just didn’t come out…. Seeing the tears that filled Eco’s eyes and her tightly pursed lips, the Mother Dragon suddenly extended her hand. She then gently stroked Eco’s head.

“…Mother?”

“You’ve suffered a terrible fate…and I have failed to be a competent mother. I’m truly sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear an apology now! Idiot idiot idiot!”

Eco burst into tears. She didn’t actually want to say such mean things. She just wanted to grasp every minute and second that she could spend with her mother. But, as if to dissolve the wish that she hoped for — the distance between Eco and the Mother Dragon instantly widened.

“Mum!”

Eco cried out as teardrops scattered from her eyes.

“I want to tell you that you don’t have to apologise to me at all, mum!”

Upon actually meeting each other, Eco found herself speechless. However, there was just one thing that she had to say, because she knew that she would definitely regret it in the future if she didn’t say it out loud now. So, Eco opened her mouth and shouted,

“I’m really happy that I got to be Ash’s Pal! Thank you so much for letting me meet Ash…!”

In that moment — Eco saw the Mother Dragon reveal a brilliant smile reminiscent of a blooming flower bud.

Part 11

[Eco? Are you okay? Please respond, Eco!”

Navi anxiously uttered a stream of words. As if drawn to her voice, Eco returned to the real world. Her scalded forelimbs immediately ached with severe pain.

—It hurts…I’m back, Navi.

[You’re finally awake, Eco.]

It seemed as though Navi just thought Eco was unconscious.

—I just met my mum.

[…What nonsense are you talking about? Anyway, look at the Necroplant! It suddenly began to deform, and now it’s revealed its core! Why would it reveal the location of its own weakness?]

Eco widened her eyes. Just as Navi said, the Necroplant was still undergoing a transformation. Kiira appeared to be anxiously shouting something, but the Necroplant completely ignored her. Moreover, a longitudinal crack seemed to emerge from its hardened bark, revealing a purple sphere within.

—That’s the core!

Eco suddenly realised that it was the ‘unique opportunity’ which the Mother Dragon had said she would create. There was a limit to how long the Mother Dragon could interfere with the Necroplant’s consciousness. If she missed this opportunity, Eco and the others would no longer have a chance of winning. That was why it was ‘unique’.

—Thank you…I won’t waste the opportunity that you’ve worked so hard to create, mum!

Eco used her remaining strength to glide through the air.

[…Eco? What are you going to do?]

—I’m going to copy what Silvia did when she destroyed the Claíomh Solais! Shooting at zero distance will definitely destroy the core!

Eco used her sharp claws to hold onto the bark of the Necroplant. She then directly faced the core that was larger than her own head.

—Take this! <Sacred Breath>!

Eco converted all of her magical energy into a single breath and unleashed it at the core.

Part 12

—Incredible…!

Ash felt as if he had become one with the wind. Although Ash was distracted by the combat situation of Eco and the others, Lucca’s glance had given him a reminder, and before he knew it, he had united with the wind, flying freely through the air. In his present state, it was as if his flight route materialised in front of him. His synchronisation with Lucca was also perfect. They were able to naturally fly at the same speed and make turns at the same time. At the beginning of their special training, Ash had found such basic skills insurmountably difficult, but it was now all a breeze. Before he knew it, an incredible sense of excitement spontaneously swept across Ash’s mind.

—I see, so Lucca feels the same as me?

Ash finally realised. It wasn’t just their flight speed and trajectory that was in perfect harmony. Even their minds were. So — Ash and Lucca initiated a full-speed sprint for the final stroke of their trajectory. With all of their feelings on the line, they traced the final stroke.

“Dragon Riding Dance, Zeroth Dance — ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’!”

They shouted in unison, having at last completed the two wings.

Part 13

Waiting in The Shrine of Jylhä, Celes held hopes and prayers close to her heart as she looked up at the night sky. Celes’ prayers were not in vain. The Dragon Riding Dance ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’ perfectly concluded with a grand declaration.

“It’s wonderful…!”

Celes gazed at the pair of wings painted in the night sky as she exclaimed in admiration. The left and right sides were perfectly symmetrical. Even the fine details of the feathers were exquisitely drawn. It was such a beautiful work of art that she wanted to share it with the entire world.

The pale moon also added a mysterious brilliance to the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. No, the dazzling full moon itself seemed to be part of the portrait of the ‘Twin-Winged Oratorio’. And so, the completed Dragon Riding Dance evoked its magical effect. The wings released a dazzling light, dyeing the entire night sky with a shade of white.

“Kuh! It’s such a blinding light…! As a bearer of Pluto, it feels a bit uncomfortable…”

Celes groaned as she shielded her right eye with one hand. At that moment, something extraordinary occurred. A thick black miasma suddenly erupted from Oscar’s body as she lay on the altar.

“Whoa! What’s happening…is this part of the curse?”

As Celes anxiously entered a defensive stance, the miasma dissipated like smoke under the pure radiance of the light.

“Ngh…”

And then, a faint moan entered Celes’ ears. Oscar’s fingers faintly twitched.

“Oscar? Hey, Oscar!”

Celes rushed over to the altar and grasped Oscar’s shoulders. Her once cold, stiff and doll-like body had regained its warmth and softness. Moreover, a fiery determination lit up her void-like eyes.

“Oscar!”

Celes felt so moved that she burst into tears and was about to bury her face in Oscar’s arms—.

“Fuwaaaaaaaa…”

However, Oscar suddenly let out a big yawn and said,

“Mmm, that was a good sleep.”

“Y-You idiot!”

—Pow!

Celes suddenly kicked and sent Oscar hurtling away.

“T-That hurts! What are you throwing a tantrum for!? …Besides, why am I dressed like a girl? No wait, I am a girl, so that’s not really a valid question. I’m a bit speechless! Anyway…where is this? It looks unfamiliar, but…”

In an instant, Celes threw herself into Oscar’s arms.

“Ah…you’re…you’re truly healed! Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!”

Celes cried and bawled like a child.

“It looks like…I’ve made you worry.”

Oscar put away her grin as she gave Celes a sweet, gentle embrace. And then, she raised her eyes to gaze at the glorious twin-winged emblem that was emblazoned across the night sky.

“It feels like…I’ve been dreaming. A very long dream.”

“A dream?”

“Indeed. In my dream, even if Ash and the others were injured in battle, they continued fighting nonetheless. It seems…Ash and the others have saved me once again. I’ll have to thank them later.”

“Yes, that’s right. The depth of their kindness is a debt you may never be able to repay…”

“I can’t thank you enough either, Celes. You’ve been by my side the whole time, haven’t you?”

After saying so, Oscar placed her hand on Celes’ head.

“D-Don’t say such embarrassing things out loud!”

Celes’ face instantly reddened.

“Guu?”

Having watched everything in silence from the side, Tristan slowly stood up.

“…I also made you worry.”

Oscar couldn’t help but smile as she stroked her Pal’s nose. Tristan purred and seemed glad to enjoy Oscar’s caress. After watching that for a while and immersing herself in the warm atmosphere, Celes wiped the tears from her eyes as she revealed a serious expression.

“Listen to me, Oscar. There’s no time for you to rest right now! Defeat those incompetent princes as soon as possible and seize the throne!”

A fearless smile emerged on Oscar’s face as she took Celes’ hand and stood up.

“Hmph, very well. My body is feeling a bit rusty, so I’ll treat it as a bit of exercise for my muscles—”

“The Resurrection ~A.S.B.1365.12~” is closed.

Epilogue

Afterwards, around two months passed.

—Year 1366 of the A.S.B Calendar, the month of Aquarius. The fifteenth day.

In the northeast of the continent — the Holy Espada Agency was situated on a peninsula commonly known as the ‘Dragon’s Wing’. Not only was the Holy Espada Agency a city-state surrounded by magnificent walls on all sides, it was also the headquarters of the Rosa Maria faith. In this place, the Cathedral of Saint Rosa Maria had gained a reputation for its world-class ceiling frescoes. The main hall of the grand cathedral had a seating capacity of three thousand people, and it was already full at this time. The majority of them were royalty and nobles of the Chevron Kingdom. The adoptive parents of Oscar who gave her the narcotic had been pardoned and sat in the front row. Under Oscar’s orders, former Third Prince Uriel was also allowed to attend. Other royalty and nobility such as Paladin Oswald of the Lautreamont Knight Country, First Princess Veronica, and Fourth Princess Silvia were also invited to attend. As Veronica’s subordinate, Avdocha also attended the gathering. Sitting quietly beside Avdocha as if in embarrassment was a girl with a mask on her face. She was the imperial girl with Pluto for both of her eyes — Kriemhild. Because she was associated with Pluto, Oscar had sent an invitation letter especially for her. In addition, seats were arranged specifically for Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, led by Ash and Eco.

The Pope Racquel IV stood by the altar. Placed upon it was a gleaming golden crown and the magnificent treasured sword Tír na nÓg. A figure walked down a red carpet towards the altar, step by step. She was ranked one hundred and eighth in the royal succession — Oscar Brailsford. She had abandoned her cross-dressing habits for a gorgeous-looking dress. Behind her, responsible for holding the hem of the surprisingly long dress was a figure with a serious expression — Oscar’s personal maid Celes.

During the past two months, Oscar had performed feats of incredible resourcefulness, making her seem like a superhuman capable of being in multiple places at one time. After returning home in a whirlwind on Tristan, she swiftly swept through the Second Prince’s army that had taken the initiative, as well as the allied forces of the Fourth and Fifth Princes. They had broken Racquel IV’s strict ruling and started a civil war before the mourning period for Zacharias III was over. As such, they were undeserving of sympathy. After that, Oscar flew all over the kingdom and successfully extinguished any flames that could lead to war. Upon witnessing Oscar’s outstanding abilities, factions supporting Oscar within the palace also began to appear. Eventually, all citizens of the kingdom expressed their full support for Oscar, and even the media began to praise Oscar’s heroic deeds.

Ash and the others also supported Oscar behind the scenes as Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. Since they operated covertly from beginning to end, most of the world was unaware of the achievements that Ash and the others had accomplished. However, this was exactly the outcome that Ash and the others desired. After all, the motive of their activities was not the pursuit of fame and status. However, it was also an indisputable fact that Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights had recently attracted the attention of various foreign and domestic media outlets. Personally, Ash’s only desire was for everything to proceed smoothly and peacefully….

On the other hand, the shock caused by the death of the Mother Dragon still lingered. The traditional activity of the Lautreamont Knight Country known as the <Orphan Ceremony> had become a part of history, and the opportunity to cultivate a new generation of dragon Breeders was now forever lost—. The recent extended silence of Second Princess Cassandra and Dark Dragon King Mordred was also worrying. The Second Princess had allowed the Dark Dragon King to live off her body, and her whereabouts were a mystery. Presumably, this was a matter which would continue to simmer in the Knight Country’s court for a long time.

The whereabouts of Kiira Brava Henriksen were also still unknown. According to the Albion Forest Military Order that was put in charge of the search, Kiira had probably survived and escaped from the forest. A dangerous pharmacist with the ability to concoct various drugs remained on the loose…that was another worrying issue.

The list of troubling problems only continued to grow. However, Ash cleared his mind and reminded himself that his current focus was a major moment of Oscar’s life. Eventually, the voice of Racquel IV solemnly resounded through the quiet cathedral.

“Then, Oscar Brailsford shall henceforth be renewed as Oscaia I, and the coronation ceremony will begin—”

“The Avalon Knight Dragner V” is closed.

Afterword

How was [Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi X] as the conclusion of the second arc? The number of published volumes has finally reached the double digits. It’s all thanks to the unrelenting support of the readers that this work has become what it is today. I will do my best to create a worthy sequel in order to repay this feeling of gratitude.

I am very pleased that the environment surrounding the [Seikoku] series has grown hotter and hotter. First off, MF Bunko J’s tenth anniversary compilation album [Song J] was released in July. The album contains an image song for [Seikoku] called [Astral Flow]. The vocalist of the song is actually Shimotsuki Haruka-san! I’ve actually been a fan of hers for a long time. When I heard news from my editor that the lead singer would be Shimotsuki-san, I couldn’t help but feel excited. As for the lyrics and arrangement, that was entrusted to a well-known composer of Nico Nico Douga — Vocaloid P Inai Yuu-san. My acquaintance with Inai-san has been of great benefit to me. Incidentally, because one of my hobbies is playing music, I also secretly participated in the song writing process (laughs).

“This is the ultimate comicalisation!” — RAN-sensei’s superb drawing skills as captured in the third volume of the manga will go on sale at the same time as the tenth volume of the novel. Not only does the third volume of the manga perfectly capture the content of the second novel volume, it also includes a short story exclusive to the manga version. RAN-sensei accepted the author’s proposal and adapted it into a one-shot. I look forward to seeing what kind of reaction this will bring, and I also hope to have such an opportunity again. In addition, the serialisation in the monthly Comic Alive magazine has already reached the selective training camp and Lucca’s debut, so don’t miss out on it!

Moreover, a [Seikoku] drama CD has also been produced. In fact, I visited the recording studio at the end of August, and the performance of the impressive voice actor line-up made me thoroughly excited. Until now, I’d always had an uncertain and vague impression of each character’s voice, but I think I’ll have a clear impression of their voices going forward now. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the cast members who came to the recording studio despite their busy schedules, Groove Co., Ltd. as the sound management studio, and everyone from Media Factory’s Video Division.

I’m almost out of space. Editor Shoji-san provided many valuable suggestions while I was drafting this volume. I really appreciate it. I’m deeply grateful to Shimesaba Kohada-sensei. This is the third time that Eco has appeared on the cover, and it’s like I can see Eco’s growth from the first to the fifth and now the tenth volume. As the author, I’m deeply moved. Please continue to support me in the next and subsequent volumes. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the readers who have supported [Seikoku] and me as an author thus far.

Well then, let us meet again next time. The third arc will officially begin with the next volume!

October 2012, Shiki Mizuchi

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