Published at 18th of July 2022 8:22 am

Volume 7, Chapter 4 - Ashley Trapped, Part 6-8

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 6

[—Hey, Ash! What are you doing!? No matter how much you love the bed, you should know when enough is enough!]

Immediately after the voice that rebuked him came the sound of a pounding at the door. Even the heavy sleeper Eco couldn’t stand that noise.

“Uun…what is it…?”

Eco rubbed her sleepy eyes as she murmured. Based on the voice and its tone, she could infer that the person knocking on the door was Silvia.

“Mmm…Ash…why aren’t you getting the door? Silvia is looking for you…”

She didn’t hear any response from Ash for a long time. Eco found it strange, so she reached out to her side. All that her hand felt was the cold touch of the silver pocket-watch that had been left on the bed.

“Ash!?”

Realising that something was amiss, her drowsiness was instantly swept away. She jumped off the bed and looked around the entire room. But Ash was nowhere to be seen.

[Ash! What’s going on!? Answer me! It’s already long past the meeting time!]

Silvia’s voice continued to resound outside the door.

[Ash-sama, are you feeling unwell?]

The voice that sounded uneasy belonged to Jessica.

[The meeting time has already passed. To be late…is simply unfitting of Ash’s style.]

It was also vaguely possible to hear Luka’s voice.

[Ash isn’t an undisciplined kind of person. He couldn’t possibly have overslept on such an important day…]

As for this calm sounding voice, it belonged to Rebecca. As if seeking help, Eco opened the room’s door. As soon as the door opened, Silvia, Jessica and Luka all consecutively tumbled into the room.

“Hold on…!”

Eco struggled awkwardly underneath the three people who had fallen on top of her. Rebecca was the only one who stood by idly.

“Eco! Where is Ash? Is he still asleep?”

Silvia asked with an interrogative tone.

“I don’t know either! When I woke up, Ash was already gone…”

“Could he be in the toilet?”

Jessica interjected between Silvia and Eco.

“No, that’s not possible.”

Rebecca pulled out her silver pocket watch to confirm the time.

“It’s already been fifteen minutes since we came to Ash’s room. Using the toilet for fifteen minutes is too long. So he should be in a restaurant or the shower room…”

“I’m going to search the dorms just in case!”

Jessica frantically rushed off.

“I’ll go with Gawain…to search outside the dorm.”

After Jessica ran off, Luka also quickly flew off.

“We should first investigate this room in the meantime. Excuse us, Eco.”

Seeing Rebecca’s calm attitude, Eco felt somewhat relieved. As long as the problem was left to such a strong and reliable Student Council President, she felt as though she would definitely be able to solve the problem that she herself was unable to.

“Eco, are these Ash’s pyjamas?”

“Yes, definitely.”

Rebecca kneeled down on the floor to examine Ash’s pyjamas.

“Hmm. Although it’s not obvious, there’s still a faint trace of body heat.”

“Body heat…!”

In her surprise, Eco could not stop herself from repeating the phrase. Turning to look at Silvia by her side, her face was also dyed red.

“Oh come on, what are you two maidens reacting to?”

A grin surfaced on Rebecca’s face as she admonished Eco and Silvia.

“In any case, we can probably be certain that Ash changed out of his pyjamas before leaving. But if that really is the case, then it’s somewhat dubious…”

Rebecca’s gaze drifted towards the wall. The uniforms of Ash and Eco were hung up on the wall. In fact, Eco was rather fond of the image of how both of their uniforms were hung up like a matching pair. Rebecca took a glance at the boys’ uniform and then folded her arms in front of her chest in thought.

“Ash’s uniform is still in this room — this means that he didn’t leave for the meeting.”

What Rebecca stated was certainly reasonable. If he was going to attend a meeting with the Student Council, then it stood to reason that Ash would change into his uniform. In a sudden burst of inspiration, Eco ran to examine the wardrobe. She examined each one of Ash’s casual outfits, but the more she investigated, the stranger it seemed.

“Is there something wrong, Eco?”

After Silvia asked, Eco stuck her face out of the closet.

“…How strange. Just what kind of outfit did Ash wear outside?”

“In other words, all of Ash’s clothes are in this room without a doubt…?”

Silvia tilted her head in confusion.

“Hmm. Something doesn’t match up…”

Rebecca folded her arms as she solemnly contemplated the problem. Eco’s uneasiness only grew.

“—Hey, you three!”

At that moment, someone burst into the room while shouting loudly, startling Eco so much that her shoulders twitched. The uninvited guest who stood at the door catching their breath as their shoulders heaved up and down was Oscar. Although Oscar was wearing her usual uniform that had undergone some minor adjustments, her hair was in a mess and she didn’t look like a noble at all. It was safe to assume that she had gotten out of bed not long ago. What is he panicking about…? Eco thought to herself in surprise.

“Have you seen Celes?”

“Calm down first, Oscar. What happened to Celes?”

Rebecca still maintained her calm demeanour as she looked at Oscar.

“Celes disappeared after leaving behind this message!”

After saying that, Oscar took out a piece of note paper. Rebecca took the piece of paper and quietly read its contents. Because Rebecca looked at it for a long time and didn’t say anything, Eco couldn’t supress her anxiousness and peered in from the side to find out what was written. All that was casually written on the piece of paper was a single sentence.

“…[You don’t have to forgive me.]? What does that mean?”

Eco pondered, while at the same time—

“…I see, so that’s what’s going on.”

Rebecca’s expression suddenly showed understanding as she murmured.

“President? What kind of clue did you gain from that information?”

Silvia stared at Rebecca. Rebecca kept her arms folded as she expressed her opinion in an objective manner.

“Mmm. A pair of pyjamas that have been taken off and a set of uniform that was left behind are in this room. Moreover, not a single item of clothing is missing from his wardrobe. Also, Celes has disappeared at the same time. It can be assumed that the disappearance of these two people is not entirely unrelated. Based solely on the message that has been left behind, Celes seems to be rather determined.”

“Geez—! That’s too long-winded! Just tell us the conclusion!”

Eco was anxious and couldn’t help but complain impatiently.

“Then, to draw a conclusion. Just what did Ash wear when he left…we’ve constantly been thinking around this issue — but since we know that Ash’s disappearance is related to Celes, things are a bit different.”

After Rebecca revealed a smile, she placed her hand on top of Eco’s head.

“I think we can be certain now that Celes forced Ash to cross-dress before she led Ash away.”

“—How could this be!?”

As Rebecca came to such a conclusion, Oscar’s limbs went became weak, and she knelt down on the ground.

“In the end, is Celes a member of the Lafon family? Is it because she had to obey the king’s orders that she had to separate Ash and Eco first…?”

Oscar murmured as if recalling something. Because of her low volume, Eco was unable to hear it. All of a sudden, Silvia stepped forward.

“Oscar-san, forgive me for saying this plainly. This afternoon will be the final battle of the Dragonar’s Gunnar Bout. Even if Celes has disappeared, that’s not a reason for you to withdraw from the tournament. The agreement you made on that day must be upheld.”

Oscar didn’t say anything. After Silvia turned around to look at Rebecca, her expression appeared serious.

“President. I will be going to the seventh dragon house while it’s still morning to join Lancelot so that I can prepare for the Dragonar’s Gunnar Bout. Hence I will not be able to participate in the search for Ash, is that alright?”

“Yes, I don’t mind. Although there is a mountain of work for the Student Council, you should concentrate of preparing for the decisive battle Silvia.”

“Thank you, President. Then I’ll be going first.”

With no further concern, Silvia prepared to turn around to leave. Eco swiftly grabbed onto her arm.

“Hold on! Silvia, are you planning to just leave Ash behind and concentrate on your own preparations? I never thought that you would be such a cold woman!”

Silvia narrowed her eyes at the infuriated Eco.

“Don’t be so naïve, Eco.”

“What did you say!?”

“The Dragonar’s Gunnar Bout is the most prestigious dragon riding competition of my country. Since I am participating today as the Knight Country’s Fourth Princess, I must naturally take care of all preparations. If I fight too disgracefully, I may receive ill fame for a thousand years.”

“How could this…”

“I believe that Ash will definitely return before the decisive battle begins. Ash is also an upstanding man. If he believes that his opponent has been troubled by his personal issues, it is possible that he may not be able to use his full strength out of guilt.”

“Mmm…”

Eco realised something from the sincerity in Silvia’s eyes…. Looking closely, Silvia’s fists were constantly trembling. In truth, she also wanted to search for Ash’s whereabouts. But that was not part of Silvia’s current job. As Ash’s opponent in the decisive battle, Silvia had made up her mind to do the best that she could in her own way — that was her decision. After Silvia placed her hands on top of Eco’s shoulders, she revealed a gentle expression.

“Finding Ash is your job. You must bring him back safely.”

Eco’s face suddenly turned red, and she irritably turned her head aside.

“E-Even if you don’t say it, I know!”

Part 7

At nine o’clock in the morning, the finals of the long-distance dragon racing competition began on schedule. Not only was the arena’s audience seating completely full, but the number of standing audience members was steadily increasing. The dedicated seating area for the VIPs was located in one corner of the arena. Until yesterday, there were still many vacancies in the VIP seats but they were completely full for this grand occasion today. The Chevron King Zacharias III calmly sat in the central position of the VIP seating area. Led by the First Queen, the ‘Queen Group’ was also in attendance surrounding the old King, making it seem as though the whole area was a completely different dimension.

“So that’s the King of Chevron huh. F-For someone to sit alone amongst so many wives…how shameless!”

Sitting upon the Maestro Brigid’s head as she flew a hundred metres above the arena, Eco was suddenly filled with anger. On the other hand, Eco noticed earlier that although the Paladin Oswald was also in the VIP seating area, he looked rather poor when compared to the royalty and nobility of the Chevron Kingdom. In contrast to the humble Oswald, the Third Princess Mirabel was like a diamond emitting a dazzling light. Although she was not interested in the events of the tournament as she sat there silently reading a book, even her routine book-reading mannerisms deeply attracted the attention of those around her. Like her name of the <Argento Magus>, it was as if she was shrouded in a silver light. Also, it was possible to see the Second Princess Cassandra sitting leisurely on the left side of the Paladin. In terms of presence, she and Mirabel formed a kind of balance on the left and right side. However, as the name <Diabolic Belladonna> suggested, her beauty carried a seductive quality that was the complete opposite of Mirabel. Seeing Cassandra’s figure, Eco felt an inexplicable fear. By reason, the First Princess should also be present, but Veronica was busy patrolling the venue, and it looked like she had not made her way to the VIP area yet.

“…Now is not the time to be dawdling. I need to find Ash!”

Eco felt as if she had a mission of her own as she rode Brigid up high into the air.

“Haah…the thing that I need most at a time like this is Navi’s power, but that woman is…!”

Eco recalled the events that transpired not long ago, causing her anger to fire up. —It was something that happened just a few hours ago. Eco visited the Dragon Workshop to seek Navi’s assistance. She didn’t originally want to rely on Navi’s power, but it was an urgent situation. However, Navi sat in her usual chair with a dazed look, and no matter what Eco said, it was as if she wasn’t listening to her at all. Her cheeks were also dyed as red as a maiden who had fallen in love, which was extremely strange. Eco had no idea about what had happened to Navi.

I can’t imagine a cold or fever being possible in the Dragweiss…

“In the end, the only members of Ash’s search team are you and me. I’m counting on you.”

“Ooooooh!”

Brigid joyfully responded to Eco. Eco subconsciously pulled out the silver pocket watch from her pocket. It was too bizarre that he had forgotten to carry the silver pocket watch that was proof of being a Dragonar…. These days, Eco was always being led around by Ash who was becoming more masculine, and it had already been a long time since she had the feeling of being the master in their relationship.

“As I thought, Ash is useless without me!”

The final battle was scheduled to begin at one o’clock in the afternoon. —There were four hours until the deadline.

Part 8

After ordering Brigid to stop in the centre of the Academy City — in the air over the centre of the Academy grounds, Eco began to concentrate. She concentrated every ounce of her consciousness into the Astral Flow that linked the two of them.

—Kiiin…

Worn on her right wrist, <Avalon’s Bracelet> slowly began to resonate. Under Navi’s strict guidance, Eco had gradually discovered the characteristics of this bracelet. This bracelet was more than just a device to control Eco’s dragonisation. She felt that aside from acting as a switch between her human and dragon forms, that it also had other special abilities. Eco understood that the bracelet contained immense magical power. It seemed like Eco’s ancestor — the ancient Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor placed their surplus magic power into it. Depending on how it was used, it seemed possible to demonstrate a variety of effects. Currently, the complex tree-like pattern of the Astral Flow was being projected in Eco’s mind.

“As long as I follow the direction of the Astral Flow, I should be able to find Ash’s <Seikoku>—”

However — the projection of the Astral Flow only went halfway before it suddenly disappeared.

“Haah…so it’s still no good.”

Eco dropped her shoulders in frustration. The master could liberate the power of the <Seikoku> to find their lost Pal. In fact, when Eco was abducted by Angela, Ash had used his <Seikoku> to find Eco’s location. But, it seemed like there was no way for a Pal to find its master through the Astral Flow. But there was also the possibility that it was simply because Eco hadn’t matured enough yet. After all, knights and dragons were always together — perhaps this was the conclusion.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll just have to look around everywhere.”

Eco took out a piece of paper from her pocket. It was something that Rebecca had prepared for Eco just earlier. She had gone to an arts teacher to ask for Ash — no, to ask for a portrait of Ashley. It was also painted in a very lifelike manner.

“Kuh! The more I stare, the prettier it looks…!”

Eco stared at the portrait somewhat reluctantly. In the next instant, the portrait was snatched away by the hand that swooped in from the side.

“Huh…?”

The surprised Eco hurriedly turned to look at her side.

“Oh, it’s drawn quite well. It has perfectly reproduced the charm of Ashley.”

The noble who had suddenly appeared stood straight on top of the Maestro Tristan’s head.

“Oscar!? What are you doing here?”

Eco’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Oscar, only to see Oscar reveal a seemingly lonesome smile.

“…I’ll help you out as well. After all, a master is responsible when their servant causes trouble.”

Although there were many doubts in her mind, since there was someone willing to help, Eco welcomed it with open arms. After all, she was in need of manpower to right now.

“Then, let’s head to the central plaza to ask around!”

“Understood.”

With their destination set to the central plaza, the two of them glided in the air on top of their Maestros. Simultaneously with the descent of the two Maestros, the central plaza burst into an uproar as the shrill cries of women resounded. Oscar had the appearance of a handsome and elegant noble, and it seemed as though she was just as popular even when she had left the Academy and come into the Academy City. But in the blink of an eye, Tristan had become surrounded by a group of young women.

“You see, we’re currently looking for someone. We’re looking for the student in this portrait—”

Oscar opened her mouth as she raised the portrait of Ashley in front of everyone.

“Haah…. We didn’t even end up hearing even a single eyewitness testimony.”

After the crowd dispersed, Eco disappointedly lowered her head. She buried her entire face into Brigid’s soft fur. Strictly speaking, Oscar’s strategy was not bad. But the disadvantage of it was that it only attracted young women. Moreover, they all became suspicious of the relationship between Oscar and the missing female student, and by the end it had turned into a question corner for Oscar. The situation had turned into this, and they were emptyhanded in their search for Ash.

“It can’t be helped, let’s split up and work. Eco, you keep asking for information while I go and visit each one of the places where Ash might be at.”

“Alright. Let’s meet back up in the central plaza, so tell me right away if you find out about anything.”

“This is all for the sake of my future wife Ashley, so I will do my best.”

“Who are you calling your wife~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!”

Eco furiously roared, but Tristan had already flown up into the air together with Oscar.

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