Published at 18th of July 2022 10:38 am

Volume 11, Chapter 5 – The Princess of Darkness and the Mechanical Dragon, Part 1-6

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

Two weeks had already passed since the start of the new school term. Days passed as Ash attended his classes as a second-year student in the Senios course while also partaking in student council activities. Another large event awaited them later in the month.

—Aries Dragon Riding Festival.

It was a dragon riding festival that was focused on athletic events. Last year’s festival was still fresh in Ash’s mind, and it wasn’t something he would ever forget. He raced against Silvia. He had a chance encounter with Milgauss and was attacked by Anya. It was also the birth of Eco, who had been asleep up until then. Ash’s turbulent school life started exactly a year ago at the Dragon Riding Festival.

However, now was not the time to reminisce about the past. A responsibility for officers of the student council was to enter Fianna Forest in advance in order to set up devices in strategic locations to drive beasts away — [Magic Incense Burners]. The route of the dragon riding race included Fianna Forest, but many ferocious beasts inhabited the forest. In order to prevent participants from being attacked by beasts, setting up Magic Incense Burners in advance was an important task for the student council officers. Ash and the others already had experience with this last autumn, so there was nothing unfamiliar about it. As long as everyone divides the work and cooperates, it’ll be easy to complete — that was what Ash thought before they set off.

Part 2

—After school that day.

Led by Ash, the officers of the student council changed into their Academy dragon riding uniforms and gathered at the entrance of the forest. As for the groups, this had been decided by drawing lots prior to their departure. As expected, sparks went flying between the girls during this process, and Ash was suppressed by their sheer aura. Although it was sufficient to divide the work up between three groups last year, five groups were necessary this year due to the expansion of the route through the forest. As such, the student council made a special invitation to Anya and Linda as helpers. According to the fair, open and transparent lottery process, the groups were determined to be:

A Rebecca and Lucca (Cú Chulainn)

B Max and Raymond (Arianrhod)

C Eco and Linda (Gawain)

D Silvia, Cosette and Jessica (Lancelot)

E Ash and Anya (Brigid)

“Sorry for asking you to help out even though things are so busy with your job at the student restaurant.”

Anya made a somewhat embarrassed smile upon hearing Ash’s apology.

“It’s okay, you guys help me out a lot normally anyway. Moreover, I think a task like this is more suitable for me.”

“It’s a relief to hear you say that.”

Ash also responded with a smile, but suddenly became unsure of where to direct his gaze. Since Anya didn’t have a dragon riding uniform, what she wore instead was her usual combat attire. Since it was a tribal outfit, Anya wasn’t shy about it…but thinking about it calmly, it was quite revealing, and it unreservedly exposed much of Anya’s tan skin. When she was their enemy, Ash had hardly realised this, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart race whenever he gazed at her bare abdomen and thighs.

“…Hm?”

Ash suddenly noticed something odd. He immediately understood after looking at Anya for a while. She was still wearing a cat ear hairband on her head. It was probably because she forgot to take if off when she changed from her waitress uniform into her combat outfit. She was clearly wearing her combat attire, but also had cat ears on her head. It was quite a refreshing look.

“What’s wrong, Ash?”

Anya asked, noticing Ash’s gaze.

“Umm, your cat ears…I think you forgot to take them off?”

“Nya!?”

Anya was so surprised that she almost jumped up, and she grasped at her head with both hands.

“W-What should I do? T-These cat ears take up a lot of space…”

They had to carry a lot of Magic Incense Burners today, so it was best to have a minimal amount of other luggage on hand.

“Why don’t you just keep wearing it then?”

“Uuh, it’s so embarrassing…”

Anya cheeks became flushed. Ash found it somewhat amusing that she didn’t mind wearing her revealing native attire, yet she was embarrassed about wearing cat ears. After chatting with Anya like this for a while…

—Doon…!

A dark aura surged from behind, and Ash immediately sensed danger.

“—You two seem rather friendly.”

The person staring at them with narrowed eyes was Silvia.

“I didn’t expect Anya-san to make a surprise ambush!”

Jessica puffed out her cheeks.

“The atmosphere between Ash and Anya…seems nice…”

Lucca whispered softly beside Jessica.

“It’s quite regrettable…”

Even Linda, who normally acted rather maturely, made a rare expression of her opinion.

“You…if you keep showing that lovestruck look on your face, watch out or I’ll crush you!”

Eco proudly declared as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

“Everyone, it’s not good for you mind or body to get angry over such a trivial matter, you know?”

As expected of Rebecca, she displayed the calmness of a mature woman. Yet, Ash felt no trace of joy in her eyes and couldn’t help but shiver.

“Geez, I really wish they’d spare us some of the attention…right, Max?”

Raymond shrugged as he sought agreement from the friend by his side. Raymond looked rather depressed because he had been placed in the same team as Max.

“No. I’m actually looking forward to the beautiful Ashley…isn’t it her turn to appear yet?”

Unfortunately, not only did Max disagree with Raymond, but he also responded like that with a serious expression. This scene felt rather cute in Ash’s eyes. It was precisely because he had experienced so many desperate battles that such a peaceful daily scene felt precious. While Ash soaked in such emotions, Eco’s attention eventually focused on Brigid.

“Hey, Brigid? You have to keep an eye on Ash, and don’t let him do anything strange to Anya!”

Upon being glared at by Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor, Brigid broke into a cold sweat and kept nodding its head at the same time.

Part 3

After bidding farewell to everyone, Ash and Anya ventured into the forest. For students, this was a familiar route.

“Let’s go, Brigid!”

Ash entered a state of human-dragon integration with Brigid as he tugged on its reins. As sunlight poured through the leaves and branches to illuminate their path, Brigid galloped along briskly. At that moment, Ash felt a soft sensation against his back.

“Hey, Ash? Isn’t this a bit too fast…?”

Anya nervously whispered. Perhaps because she wasn’t accustomed to riding on a dragon, she had been holding on tightly to Ash for a while now. She might not have realised, but a slight bulge was pressing up against Ash’s back. Ash couldn’t help but feel anxious when he became acutely aware of the sensation. To distract himself, he said to Brigid,

“Good, keep going just like this. We’ll arrive at the first set up point fairly soon!”

Perhaps sensing the momentum in Ash’s voice, Brigid let out a courageous roar.

“Phew…that’s the second one set up. Four to go now.”

Ash wiped the sweat from his brow after activating a Magic Incense Burner behind a bush.

“Thankfully, no beasts showed up during the activation process.”

While remaining vigilant of their surroundings, Anya squeezed her way through some bushes as they walked back.

“Having said that, even if we do encounter one, I’ll use my whip to drive them away for you. Dealing with beasts is my forte.”

In fact, Anya had already repelled three beasts. With just a single crack of her whip, the beasts would retreat in fear. It seemed the sharp sound generated by the whip made them fearful. Even if his opponents were beasts, Ash didn’t want to cause harm to them. As such, he had been relying on Anya’s technique ever since they entered the forest.

“It’s really reassuring to have you by my side, Anya.”

“…!”

Anya was astonished when Ash said that to her with a smile.

“Geez, the way that you casually say such embarrassing things is troubling. Maybe it’s just your innocence…but because of that, all of the girls around you are—”

Unfortunately, because Anya’s voice was too soft, it didn’t reach Ash’s ears.

“Sorry. I didn’t catch that just then…”

“If you didn’t hear then don’t worry about it!”

“…?”

Ash couldn’t understand why Anya’s face turned completely red.

“Guuuuu…”

Brigid let out a weak roar. It appeared that it had been running for too long.

“Brigid seems tired too, so shall we take a break?”

Ash suggested, and Anya finally smiled.

“In that case, how about some special sandwiches and coffee from < La Tene >?”

Anya jogged over to Brigid and took off the satchel that was tied to the saddle. Anya had already distributed lunch boxes and water to each group before their departure.

“It just so happens that I’m feeling hungry, so that’d be great. The manager of < La Tene > always seems to look after us.”

“It’s because you guys are loyal customers, so don’t worry about it.”

Anya responded with a smile as she spread out a picnic rug next to Brigid. Brigid took a comfortable nap under the sunshine that simmered through the leaves and branches above. Thanks to a double serving of meat before they set off, it seemed there was no need for Brigid to have anything now.

“Here, Ash.”

After opening the lid of the lunch box, Anya handed it over to Ash. It was stuffed full of colourful sandwiches.

“I think I’ll have a pork cutlet sandwich first then.”

“Help yourself to as much as you like.”

Anya cutely replied. In that instant, Ash grew nervous as he felt as though Anya acted like a newlywed wife. She was simply adorable because she still wore cat ears on her head like usual.

“Thanks for the meal!”

Ash took a bite of the pork cutlet sandwich in an attempt to distract his lust with his appetite.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

The crispiness of the batter and the soft yet elastic fibres of the thick-cut pork complemented each other, and it went perfectly with the sweet and spicy sauce. When paired with shredded lettuce, the taste was less greasy than it appeared. Suddenly, a mellow fragrance filled their surroundings.

“Would you like some coffee?”

Anya smiled as she handed the flask lid which doubled as a cup to Ash. It was filled to the brim with coffee that emitted steaming vapor. Ash couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Haha, your tone has totally transformed into that of a waitress!”

“S-Sorry! I’m so used to it that I accidentally—”

At that moment, the flustered Anya suddenly fumbled.

“Uwah…!”

It was too late for Ash to dodge, and so the brown liquid spilled onto his thigh.

“Kya! Y-You have to take that off straight away…!”

Anya extended her hands toward Ash’s belt in a panic. She didn’t seem to realise just how bold her actions were.

“N-No! I was just surprised, but it’s not actually that hot!”

Ash managed to regain his calm. However, Anya was still in a state of panic and constantly tried to take Ash’s pants off.

“Wait, it’s okay really! Just calm down first — huh!?”

This time, it was Ash’s hand that slipped. The hand that he had reached out with in an attempt to placate Anya had accidentally slipped into an unintended location. That place was — underneath the native outfit covering Anya’s chest.

—T-This sensation…!

Her slightly raised breasts unquestionably transmitted a soft and elastic sensation to his hand. The palm of his hand felt a protrusion that was reminiscent of a flower bud.

“…………!?”

Anya fell into even more of a panic as she attempted to untangle herself from Ash’s hand. At that moment—

—Zoop.

Her clothing slid away in an unexpected direction—.

“Nya!?”

And then, the slightly bulging breasts of the tan-skinned girl were exposed under the sunlight that filtered through the treetops.

“Uh…umm…”

Ash and Anya both froze stiffly in place, and after a few seconds—

“Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

A flurry of tears was mingled with a scream that echoed in the depths of the forest.

Part 4

After some twists and turns — Ash and Anya finally managed to deploy all of the Magic Incense Burners before sunset.

“Huh? This place, isn’t this…”

Ash suddenly urged Brigid to stop. A cliff stood before them. It was both a terrifying and nostalgic place — a place full of memories. It was where Ash had fallen one year ago. It was also where Ash was saved by the newly born Eco.

“Speaking of which, this is also where you and I met for the first time, Anya.”

Ash murmured with feelings of nostalgia as he jumped down from Brigid.

“Yeah, you’re right…”

Anya followed Ash and gracefully landed on the ground.

“Umm…Ash?”

Anya suddenly lowered her head to Ash as if she had recalled something.

“I’m really sorry for what happened back then! It’s my fault that you fell off the cliff…”

“Anya!? It’s been so long ago since that happened. Are you still hung up on it?”

“At the time…I was supposed to be the only one to fall off the cliff. But you pushed me aside and saved me, right? You took the fall for me…and for that…I never properly apologised to you.”

Anya lowered her head dejectedly as tears welled up in her eyes.

“D-Don’t make that kind of face! Besides, I was saved by the birth of Eco, so you don’t need to worry about it, okay?”

“But…”

“More importantly, if not for that accident, Eco might not even be born yet. As long as it ends well, then everything else if fine.”

Ash desperately tried to console her.

“Thank you…you really are kind, Ash.”

Anya wiped her tears away with her fingertips and finally smiled. After immersing himself in nostalgia at the edge of the cliff for a while, Ash suddenly seemed to remember something and took out his silver pocket watch to confirm the time.

“It’s almost time for us to head back.”

He said to Anya with a hint of reluctance.

“………”

She didn’t respond. Anya’s entire body grew tense.

“What’s wrong?”

Ash sharply asked, to which Anya replied,

“Don’t you think it’s weird? Just then, the presence of the birds, beasts and insects in the forest…it’s all disappeared.”

“Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit too quiet…”

Upon saying that, Ash paused and gasped. After all, it was because Anya’s expression was as serious as when they first met. Is it really necessary to be so concerned about the current situation…although Ash found it strange, perhaps Anya was particularly sensitive to this abnormal phenomenon given that she grew up in a tribe that was surrounded by nature.

“Ash! At the bottom of the valley…there’s something hiding there!”

“What did you say!?”

The instant that Ash gazed down from the top of the cliff…

“Guuuuu!”

Brigid suddenly roared and exhaled a breath of flame. An astonishing amount of atmospheric pressure and a loud noise suddenly erupted at the same time. The flames were sprayed directly at a rock on the other side of the cliff. A cloud of dust was kicked up, and fragments of debris continued to fall. Stones fell like rain towards the bottom of the valley.

“Brigid, what happened to you all of a sudden…?”

Ash whispered in surprise. In an instant, the surrounding air began to vibrate — something beyond Ash’s comprehension slowly floated and surfaced from the bottom of the valley.

Part 5

“Eco-san, the last Magic Incense Burner has been activated. This concludes our job now.”

Only when Linda said that with a cheerful voice did Eco raise her head in surprise and recall that she was actually riding on the back of a Maestro. When Linda began to activate the Magic Incense Burners, Eco couldn’t help but feel a bit drowsy under the comfort of the early spring sunshine. The one responsible for transporting Eco and Linda was Gawain, who had been borrowed from Lucca. Because Gawain was extremely loyal to its master, they were initially worried about whether it would allow Eco and Linda to ride it — but since it was Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor and Linda, who was suspected to have the same dragon riding ability as Ash, even Gawain obediently obliged.

“This was a surprisingly easy job.”

“Hmm~”

Eco uttered as she stretched her body.

“Nii-san is very considerate, which is why we only needed to set up three of them.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Eco glanced at Linda from the corner of her eye. With an innocent smile on her face, Linda seemed to be a rather clever girl at first glance. In fact, she had been the subject of various compliments among the officers of the student council, with descriptions such as:

“Very polite.”

“Maturity unlike that of a freshman.”

“As expected of Ash’s little sister.”

…And so on. As such, despite being a freshman, she was selected to help with the activities of the student council. However, Eco still couldn’t lower her guard against Linda. Because of what happened that night, various thoughts still lingered in her mind.

—…I want to be onii-chan’s bride. I have to…uh…

—As long as it’s for onii-chan…I’m willing to do anything…

—Onii-chan…don’t…don’t leave me…I don’t want to be alone…if I can’t be with you, I won’t be able to live on…

Linda’s words didn’t seem to be mere sleep talk. In other words, perhaps…because it was dream talk, it was an indicator of her usually repressed emotions. The < Seikoku > engraved on Linda’s lower abdomen was also rather intriguing. What kind of dragon resided in Linda’s body? Moreover, why did Linda have the same abilities as Ash? A genius dragon tamer — it was an ability that was already far beyond common sense. Why did this ability only manifest in Ash and Linda?

—Well, there’s no need to worry for now. After all, I don’t want to suddenly ask questions and make our relationship awkward…

Eco thought and convinced herself of this. At that moment—

“Uooooohhh…!”

A prolonged roar echoed in the distance.

“That voice…it’s Brigid!”

An ominous premonition cast a shadow across Eco’s mind. The voice sounded urgent, as if it was trying to convey some kind of emergency.

“I can’t tell the voice of dragons apart…but if that’s really Brigid, then it must mean that something has happened to nii-san, right?”

Linda worried for Ash’s safety as an apprehensive look spread across her face.

“It’s disturbing…Gawain, let’s move in the direction of that voice immediately!”

Gawain promptly responded by flapping its wings with enough vigour to sweep away all of the surrounding branches.

Part 6

—Voon….

A noise emitted from a particular device stimulated Ash’s ears. The full figure of what floated up from below the cliff finally revealed itself.

“…H-Hey, is this for real!?”

Ash was dumbfounded. As for Anya, she was too shocked to even make a sound. The thing was extraordinarily similar to a dragon. It had a head with sharp horns attached to a long and thick neck. It had a majestic body with four limbs and razor-sharp claws. Its wings were sharp and pointed. Every part of it was similar to a dragon. In addition, its body was larger than that of an average Maestro. The problem was…it wasn’t a living thing. What covered its entire body was neither silvery-white fur nor scales, but jet-black armour plates. From the top of its head to the tip of its wings, the entire thing was constructed of metal. Mounted on each of its shoulders were long and wide-barrelled magic cannons. In the centre of its head, an eerie sphere glowed red, as if it was keeping an eye on Ash and Anya. Perhaps the sphere really did have the function of vision.

“A mechanical…dragon!?”

Ash was stunned. Who made this? What purpose was it made for? Why was it lurking in Fianna Forest? Suddenly, Ash recalled the report that Silvia had shown him.

—‘A mysterious giant dragon appeared in the forest at night!?’

Since the beginning of spring, a gigantic dragon flying at night had already been spotted several times. The mighty figure that stood before him at this moment was indeed consistent with the eyewitness reports. No, its size was even greater than he had guessed based on the sightings. In terms of physique, the only one capable of surpassing this dragon was probably the Holy Dragons’ Emperor, Eco.

“…Since its mechanical, does that mean it uses the unique technology of the Empire? Did you hear anything about this from Milgauss, Anya?”

“I didn’t. I’ve never heard of anyone developing something like this…”

Anya shook her head in disbelief. At that moment, the mechanical dragon slowly descended and landed in front of Ash. The ground made a slight grumble.

“Hmm, thou actually saw through our camouflage. Colour me impressed.”

The voice that descended from above startled Ash. On the mechanical dragon’s head — there stood a slim figure. A girl in a dark dress gracefully rode on top of the mechanical dragon. No, perhaps it was more suitable to describe it as being ‘on board’ rather than ‘riding’? The young girl’s appearance was reminiscent of a dazzling silver crescent moon against the backdrop of a dark night sky. She seemed to be around fifteen years old and gave off a refined aura. Her slanted eyes had a commanding presence, and her pupils were emerald in colour. She had gorgeously long blonde hair, with curls that hung down on both sides in front of her chest. It was a hairstyle that seemed like it would be fashionable among nobility.

She was armed with a spear in her right hand, and its terrifying shape was somewhat similar to the magic sword that Milgauss once had.

“Who on earth…?”

Ash asked with a surprised tone, to which the girl softly giggled…

“That face…thou must be Ash Blake, correct?”

“How do you know me!?”

“A stupid question. Not only didst thou successfully defend Fontaine City against the < Schwarz Drachen Panzer > led by Klaus, but thou also stopped Prince Uriel’s conspiracy at the very last moment. Moreover, thou repelled the Necroplant that was morphed from the Mother Dragon. Every country around the world has their eyes on thee and young dragon Eco, as well as the movements of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

The girl’s words were spoken with an imperial accent, cementing the fact that she was indeed from the Empire.

“You know that much!?”

“Moreover — thou art very important to us.”

“…Us?”

It seemed that she was not alone. Just as Ash tried to question her further, the girl spoke first and asked sharply,

“By the way, where art thy Pal? Surely that Asia is not the Holy Dragon Emperor, Eco?”

The girl glanced alternately at Ash and Brigid.

“I’m not going to tell someone like you about Eco’s whereabouts. More importantly, what is that thing that you’re riding!?”

“How insolent! What dost thou mean by ‘that thing’!?”

The girl glared at Ash coldly. It seemed as though she was quite attached to the mechanical dragon.

“This child is the greatest masterpiece of the Maschinen Drache, and mine dear Pal — Brünhilde!”

“Hold on! The term ‘Pal’ is sacred. You can’t just use it on a mechanical toy!”

“Didst thou just say…a toy? It seems thoust accidentally said something thou shouldn’t have.”

Anger surfaced on the girl’s expression, and it seemed as if veins could appear on her temples at any moment. Despite her seemingly calm demeanour, she was quite quick to anger.

“Let’s go, Brünhilde!”

As soon as the girl raised her spear up high, it emitted a faint glow from the tip. The Maschinen Drache — Brünhilde made a deep metallic hum as it took a heavy step. Ash couldn’t help but shiver. After all, many shiny black machine gun barrels were mounted on Brünhilde’s abdominal armour.

“Karlsnautr, fire!”

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