Published at 10th of June 2022 7:40 am

Chapter 127: The Dragon Car

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

――It was morning.

Having handed over his one and only bed to Misuzu, who had a recovering power, Ran finally got used to a life of sleeping on the floor in a small group.

In the beginning, he missed being under Misuzu’s care every morning due to back and neck injuries.

Even while sleeping, they applied [fighting spirit] to key parts of their bodies to strengthen them physically, so that their bodies were not in pain while they slept.

By doing so, the saints were able to get enough rest in the small room.

It was said to be an important technique in combat to reflexively clothe the parts of the body that were subject to physical strain with [fighting spirit].

It seemed to be a defensive technique that knights and warriors in battle should learn first and foremost, so as not to be fatally injured by a sudden and unexpected attack.

It was this so-called sleeping technique that was applied this time.

Ran, who had escaped almost an entire time of practical training and classroom learning at the Royal Palace, took an extraordinary amount of time to get the hang of maintaining the [fighting spirit] in unconsciousness.

Not being able to do well when the people around him were doing it easily as breathing was more depressing than Ran could imagine. He felt like his heart was about to break many times, but his motivation never dried up because his classmates, the girls who loved Ran with all their hearts, kept him company during the practice sessions.

“….. Oh, it’s morning already?”

For Kirishima Ran, who lived in the girls’ room, waking up in the morning at the accommodation -TetsuTorutei- made him drenched in a decadent and lewd atmosphere.

The first thing he saw when he woke up in the morning was the sleeping face of one of his classmates, and he could imagine how unhealthy the night was.

Sometimes he would see the girls getting dressed or getting ready in the morning, and if anything, he would often wake up with hugs from both sides.

It was not made up – it was full of condensed, raw high school girl smell and sleepy air, and it would have been a natural phenomenon to have adolescent male’s sticks pointing at the ceiling in the morning.

“Good morning, Kirishima-kun.”

Sayaka, who was lying down next to him, lightly drew an arc around her mouth as she held Ran’s hand.

She seemed to have already changed her clothes, and was willing to wrinkle her uniform, and then she leisurely moved over to Ran’s sleeping body.

“Good morning, Sayaka. Is everyone up already?”

“No, it’s just me, Shirayuki and Mikoshiba-san who are awake.”

The -TetsuTorutei- was a cheap inn, with no guards or bouncers employed.

The saints therefore worked in shifts every few hours, patrolling the area. They had to protect themselves.

Basically, saints with skills skilled in combat were in charge, but to ensure that the burden was not unevenly distributed, saints with less aggressive skills, such as Sayaka, were also to participate as assistants.

Of course, Ran was no exception.

“…..Right, time for a change of shift. It’s my turn.”

‘Was I in a very deep sleep?’ Ran didn’t remember anyone waking him up in the middle of the night.

When he tried to wake himself up in a hurry, Sayaka gently restrained him.

“It’s fine. I also just woke up a while ago, Emi and Yuri were up before that.”

“Aree. Fujiyoshi-san and Otomezaki-san aren’t on watch duty tonight, are they?”

“Yes. That’s true, but…”

Sayaka’s voice was heartbreakingly subdued, and she softly took notice of her surroundings.

“Yuri said she couldn’t sleep and woke up. She said it might have been her nervousness.”

“…..nervousness. Ah, because we’re leaving today?”

“So did Shirayuki-san and Mikoshiba-san. It’s actually time for them to go to bed, but they can’t sleep, so they decided to stay up all night.”

“All night……Well, with Misuzu around, it’s not like they’re going to be tired in any way…….”

It was like preparing for a field trip, not being able to sleep because the anxiety surrounded them before the departure.

“Yuri-chan said you should be used to this kind of thing. She said she never overslept without an alarm the day before an exhibition.”

“I don’t know, but I think it’s different from going out as a hobby, in terms of spirit and the level of emotional strain.”

When Ran was engaged in idle conversation with Sayaka, he felt as if his head and eyes had become clearer.

He had just been told he shouldn’t get up yet, but it didn’t look like it was early enough in the morning to allow him to sleep in twice, as he could infer from the angle of the sunlight soaking the floor.

It would be frowned upon if he accidentally fell asleep and missed the departure time.

Holding Sayaka’s hand, Ran slowly woke up.

“Kirishima. You’re awake?”

“……Mmm, fuoo. Yahoo, Kiririn.”

Aya and Saki.

Aya was sitting leaning against the wall with dark circles under her eyes and Saki was yawning heavily with her face on her knees.

“You look tired. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just woke up a bit too early.”

“Yeah. Me too–yawns..I didn’t want to be late, so I woke up earlier than usual too… …..”

Aya held her hand over her bloodshot eye and secretly performed healing magic. The pigmentation seemed to have faded slightly, but from all appearances, she looked as if she had been completely healed.

Saki’s eyes were half open. Most likely, she was unable to sleep during the night because her eyes were too dim and only now sleepiness had struck her.

Misuzu’s enhanced recovery would probably eliminate a certain amount of fatigue and drowsiness, but it would be better for the two to take a nap during the journey.

“……….”

Looking at Sayaka with only his eyes, he saw her put her index finger in front of her lips and winked.

Neither of them seemed to want Ran to realise that they were both suffering from nervous insomnia.

“I want to be in top condition for the march from here on, and I’ll have Misuzu carefully apply a strengthening recovery before we leave.”

Caring for the girl’s fatigue, but daring not to mention his suspicion that they had been up all night, Ran walked to the window to wake up as well.

Today would be the last time he would see the view from this window.

Ran gazed blankly at the landscape of the distant town sinking into the morning mist.

◇◇◇

The dragon carriage taken over from the town engineer was parked beside the dragon hut, which was not a stable but behind the -TetsuTorutei-.

While the boys were bringing in their luggage, Ran took Kanami and Misuzu to a nearby wooded area.

The earth dragon provided by the royal palace had been taken back by the knights who sent Ran and the others away, on the unreasonable grounds that it was the property of the royal palace and should therefore be returned.

Since they were ordered to provide their own means of transport, they had to search for a suitable lizard to pull a dragon chariot, the Amphisbaena were found suitable and Ran trained them to be his servant by using his skill.

Generally, the dragons and Amphisbaena that pulled the dragon chariot were subjected to a rental fee to the inn and kept near the stronghold.

But there was also the fear of theft and, above all, the possibility of them escaping.

Thus, the saints decided to release them into the forest, as it was thought that it would be better for them to spend their time in a familiar place, stretching out, rather than stressing them out in a cramped hut under the hands of people.

When they were ready to leave, they would go and collect them.

“I think it was somewhere around here.”

On the banks of a sunny pond, three of the household animals were basking in the sun, looking cosy and comfortable.

When Ran approached, the Amphisbaena squealed happily and rubbed up against him.

When he stroked them under their chins, their clear eyes narrowed as if they were enraptured.

“Woaー. I can’t tell the difference between the twoNyaa.”

“I can’t tell them apart when I look at them, but you’re sure they’re these three?”

“Yeah. I don’t have the constitution to be liked by animals, and if they miss me this much, I’m sure these three are it. Besides-”

The chain around his neck had the same shape as the pattern on the amulet given to him by Queen Rebecca on his departure from the royal court.

It was the property of the royal court.

It was an insurance policy in case it was targeted by malicious people, but it also served to distinguish between individuals.

“When we wear these, it’s easy to see that we’re related to the royal court.”

“Isn’t that good? In fact, we must be related to the royal court. We are not pretending to be something we are not.”

It was impossible to know whether honestly disclosing one’s position would prove to be a good or bad thing.

However, Kanami’s view was that there was no need to go to the trouble of concealing it, given the Japanese mindset in which deceit was imprinted as evil.

“Well then, let’s go.”

With the three Amphisbaena in tow, they returned to the -TetsuTorutei-.

The loading had already been completed and the saints had gathered in front of the dragon hut.

“While Kirishima-kun and the others were out, I decided on the grouping of the dragons’ cars.”

Sayaka said this to Ran as she was connecting the Amphisbaena to the body of the vehicle.

There were three dragon cars. The first one was the same size and shape as the one prepared by the kingdom, thus the other two followed the same design.

Therefore, up to 10 people could ride in one vehicle. However, the saints wanted to distribute the luggage as evenly as possible in case of emergency, so the maximum capacity was seven or eight people.

At the time of departure, it was decided to create one group for boys only, one group for girls only (including Kirishima Ran) and one mixed group for men and women.

Reika Jougaoka, Subaru Kiryuin, Kanami Inugami, Saki Shirayuki and Aya Mikoshiba. There were three members of the otaku group, excluding Tsubasa Ryuzaki, with whom there was a rift at the time. The breakdown of the mixed group was as follows.

Ran thought that this time the group would be divided in the same way as last time, but the situation was a little different.

“Ryuzaki-kun has made up with the Megane-kun, so he wants to be in a group with them if possible. So, the boys’ dragon cars have been confirmed with seven members in the group of Megane mixed with Tanaka’s group.”

“I see.”

At the end of the day, two members from the men’s group, Takeo Aragaki and Shigenobu Torao, would be entering the mixed group this time.

If Reika and Subaru were confirmed, three of the girls would enter the mixed group.

“Who was supposed to leave the girls’ car?”

Ran remembered what happened this morning.

Aya and Saki had not slept well and must not have been in their best form.

They seemed to be fine now with Misuzu’s reinforced recovery, but Ran was thinking of having them take a nap during the move.

“Aihara-san and Onigawara-san have offered to take over with the two of them.”

Implicitly, Sayaka replied that Aya and Saki were going to be together.

Ran felt reassured that Sayaka shared his concerns.

He was about to ask who the other one had been decided on – when she suddenly felt a presence behind him.

“…. They’ve decided on the groupings. Could it be that I will be separated from Ran this time as well?”

It was Kanami.

Kanami pointed to her own face, looking somewhat crestfallen.

Kanami Inugami had a dignified appearance and was willing to make self-sacrifices.

However, she was a girl of her age. She put up with a lot, and in the end she had to break down. If that was the outcome, she could accept it reluctantly.

But if the decision was made on her own while she was away, even Kanami would have her own feelings about it, and she would be in the mood to argue.

The ability to read the air and the ability to have one’s will disregarded were two completely different things.

“Inugami-san is with us. You’ll be with Kirishima-kun.”

“…..But. If that’s the case, who else besides Aihara and Onigawara?”

“They said six people would be fine. Instead of a person,they’ve agreed to carry more luggage.”

At Sayaka’s words, Kanami’s expression brightened. It was as if a sunflower had bloomed.

It was a great pleasure for Ran to see a girl so expressively happy about herself. This was what it meant to be a woman.

“The last time we moved, I was separated from Ran. Today, I’ll sit next to you.”

Ran responded with a smile to Kanami, who was unusually clinging to him.

◇◇◇

――It was, but.

While being rocked by the dragon car, Kanami was sitting deep in her chair and hanging limp.

She looked like a boxer burnt out from an epic match.

Her ponytail was hanging loose and frayed in places, as if she hadn’t tied it back up.

Her usual dignified behaviour was completely missing.

“………….”

Kanami literally dropped her shoulders and sighed.

Yuri, sitting next to her with her luggage between them, was unable to say anything about such an attitude of the Discipline Committee member.

Yuri, who usually said something playful and made the place feel more relaxed, perhaps because Kanami’s depressed state was so serious, she didn’t seem to have the courage to burst out with light-hearted jokes.

“…… Inugami, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting like that since a while ago.”

“I really wanted to sit next to Kirishima-kun, but since it turned out like this, I’m depressed.”

Sayaka answered Yuri’s question in a hushed whisper.

“But Inugami-san, you went out with Kirishima-kun before you left. Did you really want to sit next to him that badly?”

“I think Inugami is more frustrated by why she didn’t sit next to Kirishima-kun rather than not being able to sit.”

Sayaka answered Emi’s question in a matter-of-fact manner.

She seemed to understand the situation best, perhaps because she had been with Kanami until just before when they boarded the dragon car.

“Why did I. Why have I……Why did I let such a great opportunity go to waste?”

Kanami looked up and looked at the orchid with an expression full of regret. The sunflower that should have bloomed immediately shrivelled up again.

Here was how it all started.

Kanami, who was eager to sit next toRan, went to the place where the core members of the class were gathered to confirm their future plans.

As communication with the other members of the class was not possible while on the move, there was a lot of information that needed to be shared, such as arrangements for taking a rest and the route to be taken via.

Kanami, as the representative of this dragon carriage, gladly accepted the role.

In the meantime, the remaining saints were to board the dragon chariot.

When the otaku girl group of Yuri, Sayaka and Emi got on board, Ran followed and took his seat.

Since he had an appointment with Kanami, he chose the middle of the open seat. This way, one more person could sit next to Ran.

That was what he thought.

“Saki and Aya both looked tired, soNyaa…”

Misuzu, sitting on the window seat, looked at Ran and muttered to her.

Saki Shirayuki and Aya Mikoshiba were currently sitting next to Ran.

The two, who were unable to sleep due to nervousness and had to stay up all night as a result, got into the dragon car with unsteady steps due to lack of sleep, sat down on either side of Ran and fell asleep as it was.

Of course, Kanami wasn’t in a slump, and she wasn’t in a state where she couldn’t talk to him.

However, knowing the fact that they both had not slept well, and considering that they had been keeping watch over them throughout the night, Kanami could not ask them to move away.

Kanami was important to Ran, but he also cared about the other girls as well. He couldn’t afford to give any one person special treatment.

“If only I’d stuck with Ran all the time, this wouldn’t have happened…… If only I hadn’t been separated from Ran, this wouldn’t have happened….”

By taking on the role for everyone else, Kanami had taken away a small amount of her happiness.

Rather than really wanting to sit next to Ran, she seemed to have regrets about the environmental endurance she was forced to endure because of her earnest nature.

Saki and Aya were very understanding girls. If she talked to them, Kanami was sure they would understand, but when they were sleeping soundly and happily like this, even Kanami couldn’t seem to shake her awake.

If she had no choice but to do so – if she was in a desperate situation – she would act without hesitation. [I want to sit beside the person I like,so please exchange seats with me.] It was unbearable to wake up a classmate who was sleeping comfortably for such a selfish reason. Kanami seemed to think so.

No matter how far she went , she had a straight and healthy nature.

Incidentally, Ran was in a state of disarray, secretly getting an erection from the warmth of the two of them leaning over him as they sighed in their sleep.

Aya, sitting on his left, put her face on his shoulder and squeezed his soft limb, while Saki put her hand on Ran’s shoulder and made him lean his head on her.

Saki’s short hair tickled his neck and Aya’s long hair brushed his cheeks as she twisted and turned.

“…………Hmm”

“……Hmm”

“Nuu, fu”

“… Hmm…Hmm”

The fact that every time the dragon car shook, a voice that sounded like a gasp escaped, was another factor that made Ran’s head melt into a peachy colour.

Thanks to the blessing, the vibrations were much less frequent. Still, the occasional jolt would cause the two sleeping girls to slide over, leaning against him.

Saki furrowed her brows and clung to Ran’s shirt in her shallow sleep. Aya being Aya, since she had been asleep from the start holding Ran’s left arm, she wriggled around and squeezed her tits through her sailor suit.

The full breasts softly changed shape and sank down to feed on Ran’s physique. Saki’s hands were wandering around Ran’s breasts and her fingers were rolling over his nipples through his shirt.

It was impossible not to react to this.

“……..”

Kanami, who had been looking at Ran with such insincere eyes, suddenly seemed to notice something and rolled up the curtains covering the window.

“There’s some kind of noise outside.”

Following Kanami’s lead, Yuri, Sayaka and Emi, who were sitting in the same row, all turned their heads towards the window.

Taking care not to let Saki and Aya slip away, Ran also leaned back and looked out of the window.

Not long had passed since they left the inn. The dragon carriage was still slowly making its way through the town – a street with few pedestrians.

“……! …………! …………! ……! ……!!!”

He had a shaggy beard, dyed black around the mouth, and a skinhead head. A muscular man with a dirty cloth around his neck was running alongside the dragon carriage, swinging his hat as hard as he could.

He had the look of the embodiment of a working man, his eyes wide open, nostrils flaring, and he was shouting something at the top of his lungs.

Still in town. Even though the speed was reduced for safety reasons, the vehicle waws being pulled by a skalengeck that was more gigantic than a horse. Compared to the speed at which a human was travelling, he must be going very fast.

“……!　…………!　……!”

“What is it? They’re shouting something.”

“What do they want from us?”

At Kanami and Misuzu’s words, Yuri looked around the dragon car with an anxious look on her face.

“It’s not……the innkeepers or anything, is it? You paid the accommodation fee, you paid it properly, right?”

“Before we left this morning, Joougaoka-san should have paid for all the rooms together.”

“And I think the innkeeper was a slender older man. I don’t recognise that man”

The disturbing imaginings were denied by Sayaka and Emi, but then where on earth had he been following Ran and the others’ dragon car?

“Anyway, we can’t just leave him like this.”

Kanami opened the window slightly and asked in a clear voice from inside the dragon carriage.

“What do you want with our dragon car?”

“……, ah, you’re in trouble! It’s not too late!　……, ah. Hurry up and jump off the dragon chariot before it speeds up!”

The man’s voice, spit-flying and shouting, seemed to be in dire need of this.

Breath bouncing and dripping with sweat like a waterfall, the skinhead man uttered the most outrageous words.

“There’s no one in control!　Believe it or not, that dragon carriage is unmanned!　It’s running on its own! Hurry up! Hurry, or it’ll be too late!　Jump off the dragon chariot while it’s still moving slowly!”

Kanami looked at the empty coach’s seat, and then looked at Ran with a bummed look on her face, as if she had noticed something there.

Ran, who had heard every bit of the man’s warning, had the same look on his face.

“…Aa..because of that…”

It was a careless thing to do. With a twinge of regret, Ran looked at the window on the other side to hide his guilty face.

Caught up with the Raw. Tq for reading

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