Volume 1: Chapter 1

Ddraig the Red Dragon

Part 1

*—Dong*

At dawn, Ash was abruptly woken up by the sound of a large cannon being fired.

A few seconds later, he then realized that the huge sound was actually from the releasing of fireworks using Oracles.

Ash was at Apollo House.

The dormitory where male students of the Advanced Course lived at.

A few months earlier, after completing three years of basic courses, Ash had successfully become a first-year student of the Advanced Course and earned the qualification to live in Apollo House.

The biggest difference between Apollo House and other dormitories was the one-person, one-room system. Compared to the past whereby three people had to squeeze into one small room, life in Apollo House was like heaven.

"Uuu...it's cold!"

Ash's shoulders shivered the moment he got out of bed.

The dawn of early spring still carried a deep chill. Bearing with the impulse to rush back into bed, Ash pulled open the curtains.

Ash's room was on the third floor. One could see the whole field by standing at the window.

There were many students in the field at dawn carrying out preparation work for the "celebration". There were also a lot of riders on their dragons.

Teams of Stradas swept across the horizon, in preparation for the celebration that was about to start.

The giant lizards running back and forth on the field were the brilliant Asias.

"It is about to start."

The field of such a size was shrouded in a mysterious and unusual atmosphere. Ash started to get nervous.

"Yo, Ash! Time to get up!"

At that moment, Ash heard his friend's voice accompanied by the sound of door knocking.

"Raymond? Give me a moment!"

Ash frantically took out the bandage from the first-aid box.

He wrapped the bandage around his left hand to cover up the Seikoku on his arm.

The pattern on his arm was the proof of a Breeder.

At the age of seven, Ash took part in the Orphan Ceremony held in Albion Forest and had a dragon larva put in his body.

Unfortunately, Ash's memories of that time were foggy with a lot of parts missing.

Since he obtained the Seikoku, by logic he should have seen Mother Dragon within the deep parts of the forest. However, Ash did not even have the slightest impression of having any memories of that scene.

I really messed up, Ash thought in self-mockery.

Compared to other students, the Seikoku pattern on Ash's arm was especially big.

Similar to a tattoo of unique design, it extended from his elbow to his wrist like a jet-black snake.

Though it may have been Ash's imagination, but right before he fully covered his Seikoku he could've sworn his Seikoku had change into a red color. Unfortunately he did not have the time to confirm.

"...Sorry to keep you waiting."

Finished with wrapping up, Ash opened the door to his room.

His good friend, Raymond Kirkland, was standing at the door with a hearty smile.

"The bandage again? Why don't you try something new?"

"Hmph, a normal person like you won't understand my feelings at all."

Ash was displeased. Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

"Sorry, it's my fault... Hnn? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"

"No. Actually,...I had weird dreams for the past week."

"Weird dreams? What kind of weird dreams?"

"A beautiful girl crawled into my bed, then...she did a lot of things..."

It was really embarrassing to speak about this sort of things. Ash blushed while recounting what happened.

Raymond could not resist laughing.

"Are you that desperate for a girl? That is too exaggerated!"

"Are you any better? We are in the same situation!"

"Nonono, I am different from you. It's not that I'm not popular with the ladies; it's just that I have not yet found someone suited for me."

Raymond took out a small mirror and started admiring himself.

Almost all the students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy knew that Raymond had severe narcissism. To be fair, everyone acknowledged that Raymond was a handsome young man. However, people did not dare to get close to him due to that personality of his, destroying the great impression he gave due to his looks. It was like ruining your own image the moment you speak.

But when Ash tried to remember what else happened in his dream, he only remembers the word "partner", but he decides that there's no point in talking about it with this guy.

"...What are you visiting me for so early in the morning?"

Ash said unhappily. Raymond walked into the room as if that did not concern him.

"Did you forget? The competition that we were looking forward to for so long starts today. Talking about the competition, you must not forget about flirting with girls!"

"What has flirting got to do with the competition? You should also get out there and enter the competition!"

The righteous Ash raised his volume, but Raymond had an evil smile.

"If I didn't remember wrongly, you should be the first Advanced Course student since the founding of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy to still have the larva in his body?"

"Uuu..."

Even if he did not wish for it to be so, Ash could not deny that fact. That's right, Ash's dragon companion was still sleeping in his body without a single sign of waking up.

There was not a single change since that year when he was chosen to be a Breeder at the age of seven.

To the students of Ansarivan, to rouse the dragons in their bodies from slumber was the most basic mission.

Other students had obtained their pals in the first year of basic lessons. All except Ash.

—Pal.

This was a very sacred word, representing "the dragon nurtured by the Breeder himself". A larva still sleeping within the Breeder's body cannot be addressed as a pal.

"Ash, to participate in today's competition, you seem to need something?"

"Yeah, I need a dragon."

"That's right. So, do you want to borrow my pal?"

Raymond's pal was called Brigid.

Borrowing Brigid was, of course, one of the options Ash was considering. Actually, Ash already knew that Raymond was planning to skip the competition this time.

However, just accepting Raymond's suggestion like that really hurt Ash's dignity so Ash decided to refuse tactfully.

"I can also borrow Arianrhod from Max. He's a member of the Student Council and thus cannot take part in the competition."

Student Council members made up the executive committee of the competition and were unable to participate. Max also stated clearly his intention of not participating in the competition.

"You're too naive, Ash. Do you think that Max would lend you his pal?"

"What is it about me?"

"Uohh!"

Raymond jumped in surprise. Turning around, Max was there leaning on the side of the door in perfectly good condition.

"Good morning, Max."

Ignoring Ash's greeting, Max silently adjusted the position of his glasses with his hand.

Maximillian Russell. Ash's classmate, honor student bestowed the title of Dragner by the Paladin, and also the Student Council's treasurer.

"You two being so noisy early in the morning, what happened?"

"Ash was crying and begging me to lend him Brigid to participate in the competition."

"Who's crying and begging you?! Max, can you lend me your Arianrhod? It's just for today."

Yes, for a particular reason, Ash had to participate in today's competition no matter what.

"You want to borrow my pal? In your next life."

"There's no need to be so ruthless, right?"

"Let's not discuss about this matter for the moment..."

Max sized up Ash with his sharp eyes.

"You should see for yourself the state this room is in! Didn't I remind you again and again that you must keep your own room clean?"

The overbearing Max walked into the room with big strides and immediately started cleaning. Ever since moving into Apollo House, there has never been a day when Ash's room was clean and neat.

"This scene sure brings back memories."

Gazing at Max working hard at cleaning, Raymond could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

—Ash, Raymond, Max.

When they were still Basic Course students, they had gone through sentimental times together at Merk House. At that time, having a room to yourself was still a faraway dream and the three of them had to squeeze into a small room. Ash and Raymond had a hard time dealing with Max, who was a neat freak almost to the point of it being an illness.

"...I have always wondered."

Done with cleaning, Max turned around and looked at Ash.

"Why can you ride other people's pals?"

"Well...how should I say this..."

"By logic, dragons only allow their own masters to ride them. There have been many Breeders in the past who have tried riding other people's dragons but they all failed."

"That is indeed true, but I have obtained consent from the teacher, so it should be all right?"

"Why are you still so indecisive when doing things, just like in the past? Sigh, if you really intend to participate in the competition, just borrow Brigid. I'll inform the Student Council president."

Ending with that authoritative tone, Max left without turning back.

"I wonder who's the one that hasn't changed at all."

Raymond shook his head with a bitter smile once again.

Ash suddenly drew close to Raymond.

"You will lend me Brigid, right?"

Raymond nodded his head, his eyes having a peculiar glow.

"Of course, you must make that princess change her impression of you!"

Hearing that, Ash's expression instantly became serious.

"I have that intention, too."

Part 2

The grand fireworks was dazzling.

There was a tense atmosphere in the academy, accompanied by excitement in the air.

The "race" Raymond spoke of was one of the names it was commonly known by. The official name was "Aries Dragon Riding Festival". An annual grand event held in the month of Aries (fourth month).

It was also a springtime activity held by Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Ash, having changed to a Dragsuit, arrived at the academy's sports field.

It was a cloudless sunny day, weather suitable for a race.

Many students on dragons had already gathered on the sports field.

By a rough estimate, there should be around fifty plus people.

Ash was riding on Brigid, which he borrowed from Raymond, using the reins in his hands to guide Brigid towards the middle of the field.

"You're in a good mood today, Brigid."

Brigid replied Ash's greeting with a low cry like a spoiled child.

Brigid was an Asia fancied by Ash. Having four greatly developed legs and no wings, Brigid did not look like a dragon but more like the large types of lizards.

Cheers suddenly arose from the students on the field.

"A good morning to all students."

The radiant Student Council president appeared at the centre of the temporarily constructed stage.

The Student Council president did not have a loud voice, but her words were full of confidence and had a penetrating power.

Fiery red hair, elongated eyes, her beautiful body emitted the cold radiance of a marble statue and terrifying killing intent. Even the petals dancing in the wind paled in comparison.

Rebecca Randall.

The "Scarlet Empress".

Her red hair, bold personality and unparalleled strength were her attractive points as the school idol of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Even the academy's combat skills instructors could not beat Rebecca on her Maestro, Cú Chulainn. When talking about the strongest student of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, 99 percent of the students would immediately think of Rebecca.

"The weather is great today— sorry, I don't want to talk about such nonsense."

The students on the field lowered their heads snickering. "The weather is great today" was the principal's pet phrase, but the festival was an event held by the Student Council, thus the principal did not have to go on stage to deliver a speech.

"Students of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy, not only is the Aries Dragon Riding Festival a sports competition, it is also Ansarivan's fine tradition with the results of the race included in the official records. Since you all have decided to participate in the race, then you should aim to stand on the victory podium. However, I'm aware that fine tradition and official records are not enough as reasons to motivate you to achieve victory."

The students started snickering again, but the snickering stopped quickly.

"So I decided to award the winner a day-long date ticket as a prize. As for the person you are dating, that will be me, Rebecca Randall."

The moment Rebecca finished speaking, cheers immediately arose from the students.

"Silence!"

Rebecca roared. Instantly, the students were quiet like before.

"Next would be a speech by the representative of the participants. Advanced Course first-year, Princess Silvia Lautreamont."

At Rebecca's signal, a female student's figure appeared at the other side of the stage.

Normally Ash would probably stare at the female student at admiration of her beauty and royal dignity.

But today…

Ash subconsciously clenched his fists.

"The princess is actually the representative of the participants...!"

Silvia's dazzling golden hair was tied up at the back of her head. Wearing a Dragsuit with the royal coat of arms sewn on it, she leapt off her pal— Maestro Lancelot and slowly walked up the stage.

The Lautreamont Knights royal family's fourth princess Silvia.

The "Ice Blue Princess".

She was the daughter of the ruler of Lautreamont Knight Country, who holds the title of Paladin.

Ash, whose pal still had not been born after such a long time, had always borrowed the pals of other students during practical examinations.

Otherwise, he would have been retained for the year.

To other students, riding other people's pals was suicide; but to Ash, not only was it not dangerous, it was something natural to him.

No matter how short-tempered the dragon was, it would obediently allow Ash to ride on its back. Whether was it a Strada, Asia or Hydra, he could control it with ease.

Unknowingly, the "Genius Dragon Tamer" Ash's reputation increased, becoming a famous figure of the academy.

That accident happened a few days ago.

Ash borrowed Raymond's pal Brigid to participate in dragonback combat training. Being skilled in combat, Ash defeated his classmates one by one in a short time.

It would be a lie to say that he did not feel proud of that.

Concentrated on combat training, Ash did not notice Lancelot walking behind him at that moment.

Not only was physical contact between dragons very dangerous, it was also a situation the academy did its best to avoid.

Every time before class, the instructor would always patiently remind them.

Fortunately, Brigid's butt only bumped gently into Lancelot's left leg. Both dragon and rider did not suffer any injuries. However, Ash's presumptuous actions infuriated Silvia.

"What do you take combat training for? If you come to the lesson thinking that it is just a game, you will get into trouble sooner or later!"

Other than her special status, Silvia's strict and hardline way of dealing with things was one of the reasons for her being one of the academy's famous people.

Her serious attitude in class and her feat of letting Lancelot grow into a Maestro in only a short time undoubtedly gained her the admiration of many. Her unreasonable demeanor, on the other hand, was widely criticized.

Everyone acknowledged that Silvia was a born beauty but not even one student was willing to be friends with her.

"Urk...sorry, it is my fault."

Ash jumped down from Brigid's back and bowed his head respectfully, apologizing.

If this was the usual Silvia, she would have calmed down. Facing an opponent who had admitted his mistakes, Silvia had always been forgiving. It was said to be one of the knight family's precepts.

However, it was not the same this time.

Silvia, still angry, examined Ash from head to toe, not intending to let him off yet.

"You should think with that pea-sized brain of yours! Who exactly is paying the fees for your schooling, uniform, food, accommodation and teaching materials?"

"...Are you talking about the palace?"

"Of course not. Though the one paying is the palace, but the money used comes from the people's taxes. If you continue to have that mindset that this is just a game, then you should just quit school as soon as possible so that you would not continue wasting the hard-earned money of the people!"

"What? Quit school? Are you serious?"

"There is no free lunch in this world. That is one of the Lautreamont family's precepts!"

There was contempt in her ice blue colored eyes. At that moment, Ash realized why Silvia was called the "Ice Blue Princess". There had been almost no points of intersection between Ash's and Silvia's paths during the phase of Basic Course. This was the first contact between the both of them.

Even if she was a princess, Ash's pride did not permit him to give in.

"The Lautreamont family's precepts are none of my business! I have already apologized. What else do you want me to do?"

"This is not a problem that can be solved by just an apology! You still do not have your own pal, right?"

"Uu..."

A sensitive issue of his having been mentioned, Ash was rendered speechless. It seems Silvia also knew some things about Ash.

"Hmph, like master, like dragon, maybe it died long ago!"

Hearing that, rage burned in Ash's heart.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let it be, Ash. She is the princess, you cannot win against her."

Behind him, Raymond tried to stop him but Ash ignored him.

This was not the first time that he suffered such humiliation. It was no wonder that Ash was the target of humiliation from everyone since he still did not have his pal.

If the insults were directed toward him, Ash could still bear with it.

However, if it was an insult directed towards his pal, he would not let that go easily.

Ash would fight back with all his strength till the other party apologizes.

Similar situations having occurred several times, Ash, who should have been the victim, slowly became the problem child in everyone's eyes.

Talking about the most troublesome person in the academy, ninety-nine percent of the students would think of Advanced Course first-year Ash Blake.

"Take back what you said immediately."

Even if she was the princess of the kingdom, she should not humiliate others as she pleases.

So, Ash took a step forward, having no intention to hide his anger.

The lesson was interrupted. Everyone's attention was on Ash's confrontation with the princess.

Part 3

Silvia, who had ascended the makeshift stage, observed the students whom had assembled in the sports field.

Finally, her blue pupils stopped abruptly at one place.

"…"

It was evident where Silvia was looking. She was, obviously, staring at Ash.

That day, Silvia had not withdrawn her words. If the other party had been a boy, at that time Ash would've clouted him. However, as expected, even if he wanted to, Ash couldn't hit a girl. Moreover, she was a princess in the palace circle.

Instead, he had, reluctantly, proposed a condition.

- If I am victorious in the race in a few days, you will take back the words you said a while ago!

Silvia, nonchalantly, had commented: "That would be fine" and agreed.

That was the answer that Ash wanted.

Silvia, once she stopped staring at Ash, opened her mouth.

An icy voice shook the atmosphere, reminding everyone of the winter that had just passed.

"You must try your best in any competition. That is my family's motto - no less."

Silvia then descended quickly from the stage and, riding smartly on Lancelot, returned to the sports field.

After a few seconds of silence, only a sparse amount of applause arose from the sports field as everyone was taken aback by Silvia's haughty attitude.

"What?"

"It is obvious that Lancelot is the outstanding one, not his owner."

"What is so great about his master?"

"Wasn't the first paladin originally a knight of the Chevron Kingdom. In other words, only just a fortunate soldier, nothing more. Definitely not royal."

"As expected of that brother's sister."

Ash nonchalantly glanced at a few same grade female students, who were murmuring quietly behind him.

At first, Ash had taken no notice of their conversation, however:

"That brother's sister."

That part of sentence caught his attention.

The 'brother' that the female students had said, obviously referred to Prince Julius.

- Dragon Slayer Julius.

Although he was the eldest son of the Knight family, he violated the biggest taboo.

No one knew why he would slay his dragon, as he was publicly executed for breaching the taboo before he could disclose his motive.

To bring his name up at this occasion, really wasn't thoughtful.

Even if he had shamed the Royal Knight Family, that was ten years ago. There really wasn't any good in bringing up these old matters.

"… She really doesn't have an easy life."

Ash, suddenly, began to sympathize a little for Silvia's plight.

Part 4

The competition was about to start.

The row order of the contestants had been sequenced according to the results of the mock competitions that had occurred during training class.

Usually, the fastest riders were placed at the front.

However, this year's dragon riding competition was different.

The players who were placed at the front, were the worst scoring students of the mock competitions.

Apparently, it was Rebecca's suggestion; her reason being that the competition would be more exciting.

As a result, based on the new rules, Silvia, who had scored top in the mock competitions, had no choice but to be placed in the last row.

Aside from Silvia, Ash was also in the last row.

Although the student council had made an exception to the rule to allow him to use another student's pal to participate in the competition, just to be fair, his starting position had been purposely positioned in the last row.

Without doubt, this type of order doubled as a safeguard against a sudden surge of contestants once the race had started.

Nevertheless, despite these new rules, this situation could be said to be favorable to him.

To be allowed to participate in the competition was already a one in ten thousand chance. Furthermore, to be placed beside Silvia, was the perfect opportunity to execute their showdown.

With every minute and second that passed, he gradually became more and more focused.

Silvia didn't talk to him.

Likewise, he felt that there wasn't a need to converse with her.

Finally, the preparations before the race were finished.

The cheers coming from the audience around the sports field's boarder had reached a climax.

All around, a unique sense of tension filled the atmosphere.

Ash clearly felt his own heartbeat gradually quickening. During the mock competitions, he had never felt so nervous.

"On your marks!"

Rebecca's voice emanated from mid-air.

Clad in a uniform, she was riding on her pal's back. Essentially, this was breaching the school rules, however, as today was the annual Dragon Riding Festival, no one had raised that issue.

Arms akimbo, she now stood majestically on top of Cú Chulainn's head. Her high-spirited heroic bearing immediately attracted everyone's attention.

This was her riding position.

As Cú Chulainn's body was too big to find a suitable saddle, and also, because she had publicly expressed that she did not want to restrain her beloved pal with a rein and saddle, this evolved into her current unique riding position.

A suffocating silence enveloped the audience, as she lifted a magic carbine.

Only the sound of one's own heartbeat and the deep breathing of the dragons could be heard.

"Get set -"

The carbine's muzzle was aimed at the sky.

Then, when the flash of an Oracle illuminated the horizon, the gun let out an enormous bang.

Around fifty dragons, at the same time, started to run, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

The Stradas, whose tails a smoke bomb had been tied to, formed into a column and, at the same time, flapped their wings and flew. While that was happening, the smoke from the smoke bombs formed a seven-coloured rainbow in the sky.

Part 5

Brigid did not betray Ash's expectations. After his flawless start, he ran flat out, hot on Lancelot's tail. As they moved around the academy's sports field, the competitors maintained a distance between each other.

Then, in the midst of loud cheering, they passed through the school gate that led to the city district.

"Full speed ahead!"

At Ash's urging, Brigid let out a roar.

Ash intended to, with all his strength, rush through the avenue leading St. Durham Square.

Maestro Lancelot, possessed an astonishing speed. Within a blink of an eye, he had already overtaken many competitors.

Brigid tailed closely behind Lancelot's body, where the effect of air friction was the least, ascending the ranks with him. However, when Lancelot was about to enter a narrow city road, which was connected to St. Durham Square, he suddenly slowed down.

"… That's odd."

Ash, who had been following Brigid, raised his head and looked ahead.

"Them …!"

Four competitors, side by side in a row, had obstructed the way ahead. Upon closer inspection, Ash immediately realized that they were the same four female students who had slandered Silvia before the competition.

Ahead, the narrow city road meandered endlessly, plagued with numerous challenging turns. It seems that until I have exited the city district, I will have to be patient, Ash thought to himself.

All of a sudden, he grasped their intentions.

"Those people …"

They were probably here to target Silvia.

Whenever other competitors approached from behind, they would, at once, automatically create a small gap to allow them to pass.

Bit by bit, Silvia's ranking was deteriorating. Soon, she, along with Ash, would be last.

Ash was at a loss.

Overtaking Silvia wouldn't be hard. The female students obstructing the way ahead should let him pass. After all, he was a bystander to them, so there wasn't a need to make things hard for him.

"You people really have taken things too far!"

Infuriated, Ash couldn't help but shout at them.

"Do you really not care?"

He exclaimed, in a loud voice, as he spurred Brigid to Lancelot's side.

Due to the difference in height between the Maestro and Asia, Ash had to look up at Silvia.

In contrast, Silvia glanced down at Ash, her face etched with contempt.

"… There is nothing that can be done about this, whether it is blocking our way or working together, it doesn't violate the rules of this race."

"Now is the time to act noble! Could it be that you aren't angry at all?"

"I don't want to talk to enemies! Go away! It's none of your business!"

"You excessively prideful person, no wonder you can't make any friends!"

"Y-You, what did you say!"

Ignoring Silvia's protests, Ash spurred Brigid ahead, quickly leaving Lancelot behind and approaching the four female students, whom were blocking the way ahead.

As expected, as soon as one of the four girls noticed him, she promptly shifted over, creating a gap on her right.

Ash, without looking at any of them, spurred Brigid straight towards the gap that she had created.

They probably had thought that he was just going to pass through.

"Fu … you are wrong!"

With a flick of the reins in his hand, Brigid's enormous body immediately moved to squash the female students beside him.

They were now extremely close together, almost reaching the point of breaking the competition's rules.

"Hey, what are you trying to do?"

One of the girls paled, due to fright.

Due to turmoil caused by Ash, the four riders who had been in an orderly row, were now shortening the distance between themselves. Soon they would collide into each other.

There was only one option to prevent this; to relinquish their positions. However, if they did so, they would destroy their row formation.

Without doubt, this was the goal Ash had aimed to achieve, and, after achieving the upper hand, he didn't overlook the chance to gibe at them:

"I'm very sorry for the trouble I have caused. This dragon was borrowed from someone and it seems to be a little disobedient!"

The expression of one of the girls, suddenly changed.

"You are Ash Blake!"

Whether it was luck or not, Ash's name seemed to have an profound effect on them.

"It's the Number One Problem Child in the academy!"

"Uhh! Stay away from me!"

"Kyaaa!"

The four female students promptly broke formation and, after a brief period of turmoil, they all fell hopelessly at the side of the road.

Their high-pitched shrieks, along with the roars of the dragons, reverberated endlessly in the narrow city road.

Silvia, who had been behind, deftly dodged the female students and dragons, and quickly picked up speed.

"W-Who told you to meddle in other people's business!"

In spite of her brusque tone, her cheeks, however, turned slightly red.

Part 6

After leaving the city district, he journeyed north on the main road, arriving at Fianna Forest.

The forest was also a part of the competition's course. The skills required were now, were vastly different from the ones needed to navigate through the city roads.

After just entering the forest, a strange thing happened.

"… Brigid?"

Brigid, who had been tailing Lancelot the whole journey, suddenly slowed down.

Silvia, obviously, took advantage of this opportunity. In a nick of time, she had disappeared.

"What's wrong …?"

Brigid, finally, stopped walking.

He was breathing heavily and his expression was one of great pain.

Ash, now, had finally realized the mistake he had made.

"I was too careless."

While Ash had been preoccupied with following Silvia, he hadn't noticed that Brigid had run out of stamina.

From the start, Brigid had always maintained the same speed as Lancelot, in spite of the difference of stamina between a Maestro and an Asia. Generally, in order to successfully finish the competition, the pace to complete it at, should have been determined from the stamina of the dragon.

"…Sorry, Brigid."

After he had apologized, Brigid let out a soft snort, as if he was ashamed of his physical strength.

Now, groups of competitors, bit by bit, had caught up. One by one, they raced past Ash's side.

The sound of thunderous rumbling shook the earth, as the air filled with dust.

The sight of a group of Asias running in the forest was spectacular to behold. Ash could sense the ground incessantly rocking. For a very long time, it didn't subside.

Ash's competition, at his point of time, had concluded.

Between him and Silvia, a winner had been determined. His goal to force Silvia to take back her words, in the end, wasn't achieved.

If this was described as unfortunate, it would be a lie. Ash had really wanted to complete the competition. For the entire time, he had made a bee line for the finish line.

However, oddly enough, Ash's mood was rather carefree.

"It turns out that competing with the princess is quite interesting."

No matter how reluctant, he couldn't deny this fact.

"I hope the next time I compete with her will be with my pal."

Ash muttered those words as he looked at his left arm. Then he remembers something in his dream.

[Partner…]

That word made Ash's heart beat with excitement. He instinctively felt that word was nostalgic.

'Could that have been…'

Then, at this moment-

A rustling noise, without warning, came from behind.

"-!"

Ash instinctively looked back, staring at the forest behind him.

"…Who is it?"

For safety reasons, Ansarivan's security guards would, during the race, patrol the forest.

In the forest, to sense another person's presence, wasn't something to make a big fuss out of.

However, whoever it was, hadn't replied. If it was really a security guard, he should have already appeared directly before Ash, who had been eliminated.

Ash heightened his awareness and cautiously surveyed the surroundings.

Although he hadn't discovered any suspicious figures, he felt as though someone was watching him. He could feel a sense of foreboding growing within himself.

"Wait for me here."

After leaving Brigid there, Ash walked into the depths of the forest.

Part 7

Fianna Forest, bordered on the west by Rubina Lake, was located northwest of the city Ansarivan. It's one of the largest forests within the borders of Lautreamont Knight Country.

As Ash ran in the forest, so as to not trip over the tree roots that crawled over the earth like a web of intricate blood vessels, he constantly looked down at his feet.

Then, once again, he sensed the presence of someone else.

"Found you!"

Trusting his own intuition, Ash threw a stone at the bushes in front of him.

The bushes rocked left and right, making a rustling sound.

"Your intuition is quite keen. It really is one of your talents."

Stated a voice that possessed both the vitality of youth and the staid of seniority.

"You are …?"

From the bushes, a tall thin man emerged. In his left hand, he held the very stone that Ash had just thrown.

Though he was dressed in a traveler's garb, which wasn't out of the ordinary, Ash was shocked into silence.

This was because that man was wearing a silver colored mask on his face, which covered everything except for his nose and mouth.

In addition to this, his gleaming sliver hair was streaked through with strands of crimson hair, which brought to mind an image of silver silk slowly shedding blood, as well as the blood used to write cursed scripts.

In his right hand, he held a black object that emitted light.

"A mechanical weapon from … the Empire?"

Ash, dumbfounded, stood on the spot, unable to move.

It's not like he didn't know about it.

On the other side of the steep mountain range, lacking the blessing of dragons, the Empire, nevertheless, had a highly developed civilization based on machinery.

The weapon that the masked man held in his hand probably was the product of mechanical engineering. If he remembered correctly, it was a 'short machine gun', a gun that combined the portability of a pistol and the rapid fire of a machine gun. Ash didn't dare to act rashly. He knew that man could easily, at a moment's notice, riddle him with so many bullet holes that he would look like a honeycomb.

Perhaps it was because he had perceived Ash's wariness, the corners of the man's mouth twitched faintly upwards.

"Young man, you are very bright."

"You are … a soldier of the Empire?"

"Do I look like one?"

Ash didn't know what to decide.

That object in the man's hand was a weapon manufactured by the Empire.

However, that man didn't have an Empire accent. Instead, he had a strong Chevron Kingdom accent. Aside from that, the way he spoke was highly refined. To be more precise, he was speaking so-called 'King's Chevrish'.

Ash realized that he was in a precarious situation.

If the masked man was from the Empire, why would he be lurking around the outskirts of Ansarivan for?

Maybe, he was an Empire spy.

The Chevron Kingdom and the Zepharos Empire, the two great powers of this continent, had been in a Cold War which had, already, lasted five decades.

Sandwiched between those two countries, was the Lautreamont Knight Country, the Chevron Kingdom's child country.

Initially, the Knight Country was part of the Kingdom, therefore, the relationship between these two countries would, naturally, be much closer than any of their allies.

Currently, should armed personal from the Empire appear within boarders of Knight Country, this country could, and would, interpret this as a military operation of the Empire.

However, Ash's strength was finite. He was definitely incapable of opposing the man before his eyes.

"Young man, how old are you?"

The masked man's unexpected question distracted him for a moment.

"… Sixteen. Is there something wrong with that?"

"That's strange. Why do you still have larva within you?"

Ash, astounded, subconsciously retreated a few steps.

"H-How do you know?"

"The curse on your body allowed me to clearly perceive that."

"Curse …?"

Ash frowned. He never would never have expected to hear, from the mouth of a person from the Empire, words so unscientific.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to ask what those words truly meant.

"Get away from Milgauss-sama!"

A tender, yet commanding voice resonated in his ears.

Reflexively, he looked back and saw a petite figure moving towards him. Then, immediately after pulling an object from its left bracer, the shrill sound of air being sliced sounded by his ear.

"Argh!"

Moving his body quickly, Ash awkwardly dodging the surprise attack. A pitch-black serpent passed through the space where his head had been. Actually, upon closer inspection, the pitch-black snake was actually a long whip, the preferred weapon of the Tantalos Tribe.

Those who master this weapon are said to have an unpredictable attack. Even soldiers armed with swords, guns or cannons, aren't a match.

Ash dived onto the ground and began to roll, attempting to distance himself.

Although his attacker was also wearing a mask, from their exposed eyes, he determined that it was most likely a young teenage girl.

Her beautiful jet-black hair was fixed at the back of her head and, despite her petite stature, her eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Ash, improvising on the spot, got up from the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt, threw it at the girl, turned and ran.

"Argh …!"

The girl flinched and, for a brief moment, shielded her eyes. Then she began to pursue Ash.

Ash, sprinting, plunged into a nearby thicket.

"Damn … why am I so unfortunate!"

Upon rushing out of the forest, his field of vision immediately widened.

Above him, a dazzling blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, forcing him to narrow his eyes.

Barren rocks, big and small, littered the ground.

Ash swallowed. This situation wasn't good. Ahead of him there was a ravine. Its edge was around ten steps away. Ash looked around but couldn't find a bridge.

"Obediently accept your fate!"

The girl appeared from within the forest.

Ash, with his back to the cliff, confronted her.

"When did I ever wrong you?"

"Meeting us. This was your greatest misfortune."

The girls tone was flat, lacking any rise or drop in pitch, making her sound emotionless.

"That's absurd!"

"War needs no reason."

"Isn't there an armistice?"

"Armistice? That nothing more than something we pretend to adhere to. In reality the war between the Empire and the Kingdom hasn't ended!"

The girl kicked the ground, and, brandishing the whip in her hand, slowly forced Ash towards the edge of ravine behind him.

Though Ash scored quite well in the class of fighting techniques, this girl's movements were too fast. He could only, step by step, retreat backwards.

In a few more steps, he would fall into the ravine.

"Hmph … I wonder how long you can continue to struggle for!"

She sounded irritated. In fact, she was most likely an impetuous person.

- Now!

Ash grabbed the end of the whip, which had missed him, and then, with a great pull, broke her balance.

"Uooo!"

He grabbed her by her collar and, using her own momentum, hurled her away. Her body traced a parabola in the air. Ash was surprised, as he hadn't expected her body to be so light.

"Kawaa!"

Falling heavily, the girl gave a painful cry and her right hand involuntarily released the whip.

"Uguu …"

Still conscious, tears of misery appeared her eyes. Aside from that, she was constantly squirming, as if in great pain. She probably wouldn't be able to stand for a quite a while.

Steading his breathing, Ash slowly extended his right hand towards the mask on her face. He wanted to see what she looked like. Then, just at this moment.

- Bishi!

A peculiar noise, similar to that of an object fracturing, could be heard.

"Eh …?"

Ash could hardly believe his eyes.

The outcrop supporting their weight, unexpectedly, had begun to collapse.

This was most likely due to a geological fault in the rock. This fight should never have been performed in this kind of location. Then he noticed it, a warning sign labelled "Beware of Collapse".

"Ku …!"

Ash had no time to ponder. He lifted the girl and threw her forwards.

She landed safely on a stable piece of outcrop.

However, in doing so, he didn't have enough time to escape. Instead, he fell along with the rocky debris into the ravine.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The immense drag of the wind almost tore his skin.

Ash was scared of falling into a bottomless ravine. Then, at this moment, he felt his left wrist heat up.

"Eh …?"

A flash of light burst through his clothing. The Seikoku, which extended from his elbow to his wrist, suddenly began to emit heat and a deep-red light.

The shrill sound of the wind was silenced.

In fact, all sound was silenced.

"Ugh …!"

Ash felt an excruciating pain within his left arm, as if it was being torn in half, as though something was trying to break out of his arm.

The pain almost caused him to lose consciousness.

While bearing the pain, he looked down at his arm and found that it was exuding a dazzling radiance.

"Guaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Ash gave a great scream as his consciousness gradually began to fade.

However, within his hazy vision, he saw something clearly.

A red gauntlet on his left arm. The same one that appeared in his dream.

[…Kukuku. Just born and I already have to save your ass. Kukuku. Seems like I won't be bored with you. Partner!]

Around him, a blinding red light had, unbeknownst to him, enveloped his body.

Not only that, but his descent had slowed down.

Ash slowly floated down, like one would within a child's fairy tale.

Before long, he landed on a rock beside a creek.

The ball of light, which had protected him, instantly turned into countless particles and disappeared without a trace.

"Am I safe now …?"

Ash mumbled to himself as he looked at the red gauntlet.

Beautiful was the best word to describe the gauntlet. Even if it was a piece of an armor, anybody would still call it a masterpiece.

Ash was dumbfounded.

Why did a gauntlet come out of his Seikoku? His pal should've been born?

Ash had always imagined a baby dragon coming out from it.

"…Could this be…part of an Ark!?"

[You're half-right.]

"Whoa!"

Ash almost jumped back at the sound. He took him a few moments that the voice was coming from the gauntlet as the green jewel from the gauntlet was glowing.

"Who are you?"

The voice sighed.

[Oi. Oi. Don't tell me you already forgotten the voice of your new best friend for life partner?]

Ash did not understand what he meant.

[We just met this morning in your dream. Remember?]

"…Dream?...Ah! I remember now!"

'That's right…In my dream…"

A mysterious red dragon appeared in Ash's dream after the mysterious girl Navi vanished. The dragon had the same voice, and he certainly recalled the dragon called him partner.

"Could it be that you are…?"

[Sigh. Like I said before, I'm your pal. The red dragon that resides in this gauntlet.]

Ash couldn't help but have his jaw dropped. He was completely shocked at this event that should be impossible.

The red dragon seem to have anticipated this as he continues to speak

[I know that it's hard to believe, but even I don't know why I was born like this. Well, I wonder if you can call this being born. My consciousness might be only part of me that was 'born' while my real body is still a larva. As a result my consciousness now resides in this gauntlet.]

"No way…"

Ash had mixed feelings about this. For years he had always dreamed of how he would spend time with his pal like holding the baby dragon, rousing his pal from its sleep, playing with his pal, and raising it to become a fine dragon. However, his pal was practically a dragon gauntlet while everyone else's were dragons?

Ash was happy that his pal was not only born but he can also communicate with it in the same language. But at the same time, he was upset that it was still a larva.

[Don't worry about it partner. I don't like this either, but it's just the way it is. But it seems like there's a spell that can make us both happy.]

"Eh?"

Suddenly the jewel on the gauntlet started to glow, and then the whole gauntlet started to glow red. Ash quickly covered his eyes.

When the light disappeared, Ash opened his eyes.

"…Eh?"

Ash couldn't believe what he was seeing.

A cute little red baby dragon was on his lap.

[Hahaha! Good! Even though I can't transform into true form, at least I can move around!]

The dragon starts laughing while rapidly flapping its-no…his wings.

Ash was amazed at this and was really happy that his pal was just like he imagined him to be. Ash subconsciously started to rub his pal's head. The baby dragon seemed to have felt it as he started to close his eyes.

"Wow! That's amazing! So you really can switch between gauntlet and a dragon right?"

[This spell was created for the purpose of letting me blend in the human world. It would be strange for you walking around wearing a gauntlet and talking to it right? This form would make things less suspicious. The bad part about this spell is that I can't use my powers while in this form, so my powers all depend on you when I'm in gauntlet form.]

"Well it's too bad I can't ride you. Looks like I really do have to do all the fighting. Sigh. By the way since this is a spell, how long does it last?"

[Depends I say about…12 hours maybe…or even another hour if I'm lucky. The time can extend depending on our growth. The time might extend just a little bit if I eat."

"So the best time will have to be during school time huh. It might feel uncomfortable wearing a gauntlet to bed."

[It should be possible to put the gauntlet back into you while still be able to communicate with him.]

Ash sighs with relief. Ash then remembers something.

"There is something I want to ask. You should be the dragon that was within me. Why were you in my body for so long? I've already become a first year Advanced Course student."

The red dragon starts to ponder while scratching his head. It was strange to see a dragon scratching its head like that let alone a baby one. He sometimes act like he's way too old for someone who was just born.

[Who knows. Maybe it had something to do with you or me. The way I was born was already beyond abnormal, so that's probably why. But more importantly…]

The dragon stares at Ash.

[You haven't given me my name.]

"Your name…"

[Yes. In order for our contract to be complete, you need to give me a name. Not even I can break the secret agreement of Albi-I mean the secret agreement of Wales.]

"Huh? Wasn't it what you were about to say? The secret agreement of Albion?"

[No. I said the secret agreement of Wales.]

Ash has never heard about Wales before but he knew about that historical term.

-The secret agreement of Albion

Long ago, confronted with the crisis of extinction, the dragons stipulated a treaty with humans who wanted their magic.

The human and dragon would then share a common destiny. Although you cannot see it, they are bound together by an invisible thread called the Astral Flow.

After combining with humans, dragons are able to get a supply of the Astral. As a result, dragons obtained the strength to survive, thus overcoming the crisis of extinction.

This knowledge was taught during the Basic Course. The Astral was something similar to "qi" and was the source of greatly-needed strength.

The history of the dragons was far longer than that of humans. With each new generation, the Astral contained within their bodies decreased.

Due to the lack of the Astral, before becoming fully grown, many young dragons died prematurely.

If young dragons were unable to mature into adult dragons, sooner or later, dragons would go down the path of extinction.

Concerned by the current situation, the dragons decided to combine with the humans who possessed the most Astral Flow, thus avoiding extinction.

"Is that so? The dragons also have so many difficult rules."

Ash made a bitter smile. He guessed that it would be better to ask him about Wales later.

"If that's how it's going to go, relax. I have already thought of your name"

Ever since he had become a Breeder, he had always remembered this name.

"Your name is Ddraig."

Compared to Lancelot and Cú Chulainn, it was a little out of fashion. However, it was a rather historical name, frequently appearing in historical or religious textbooks.

-First year of A.S.B (After Saint's Birth)

For the first time in human history, a young maiden succeeded in rousing the larva from its slumber. Her name was Rosa Maria. After her death, people referred to her as a saint, as she was the primogenitor of Breeders. At that time, her pal's name was Eco.

But around the same time, there was a legend of a male who befriended a new born dragon around the same time that Eco was born. He was also the first known Ark Dragonar. Even though the dragon wasn't born inside of him, their bond was strong enough to form an ark and so far it was the only known one history for that to happen. The man soon named the dragon Ddraig.

Together with Rosa Maria and Eco, the man and Ddraig made many accomplishments that still exist today. Unfortunately, the man's name was forgotten.

[…Ddraig…]

The dragon smiled a little and started to nod his head.

[Not a bad name. Ddraig. The name of the first dragon to create an ark for humans.]

The dragon floated in front of Ash.

[Very well then. From now on, my name is Ddraig.]

"Phew, luckily you quite like this name."

Ash smiled happily.

"Oh, by the way, although you had just awoken, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about the secret agreement of Albion and Astral Flow and our history."

[-Dragweiss]

"Ehh?"

Ddraig suddenly began to stare off into the distance, taking Ash by surprise.

"In order to survive, the still slumbering larvae will automatically inherit relevant knowledge. As this inherited knowledge is beyond generations, there is no need for others to teach them."

"Wow, that's amazing … So then can you use Dragweiss to find out the reason of why you were born in a gauntlet."

Ddraig lowered his head in thought. After a while, he could only helplessly shrug her shoulders.

[It's no good, the Dragweiss doesn't contain records pertaining to this … No, there should be related records, except they cannot be accessed. Strange. Very strange.]

"So it's no good huh? Well that's fine. We can figure that out later."

Ash shrugged his shoulders. It wouldn't change anything even if they knew. The only thing they can do now is move forward.

At this moment, Ash suddenly remembered something, he still hadn't introduced himself!

Thus, he calmed his wild heartbeat, and extended his right hand towards Ddraig.

To obtain his own pal had been his wish for many years.

[What's wrong?]

Ddraig tilted his head. Even though he spoke around the same age as Ash, his voice and actions still make him look like a cute little dragon.

"I'm called Ash Blake, from this day on, I am your master!"

Ddraig's eyes widened a bit and stared at Ash. Then, Ddraig smile wryly at Ash.

[I understand that due to the agreement that you are my master. But I think we should make things clear.]

Ddraig went to Ash's shoulder.

[From now on we are partners for life! We are equal! Let's have fun from now on Ash Blake…No!...]

Ddraig smiles happily.

[...Partner!]

Ash smiles happily.

"I'm looking forward to it!"

Ash sits on a rock while happily talking with his new pal, Ddraig about his new home, Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy.

Part 8

… A few hours later.

Sure enough, Silvia didn't betray people's expectations, with a manner befitting of the Jedi in 'Return of the Jedi', she claimed first place and-

Security guards within the forest found Brigid, decided that the rider must have encountered a mishap, and immediately formed a rescue team, and began to search for the rider.

The rider was called Ash Blake, a first year Advanced Course student who rode his friend's pal to compete, the Number One Problem Child of the academy.

The student council president, Rebecca, and many other students all joined the rescue team.

As Fianna Forest covered an extensive plot of land, at first, they believed that the rescue operation wouldn't succeed; however, before long, they found Ash and Ddraig.

Cú Chulainn, with Rebecca riding on its head, without turning back, flew straight towards the ravine bordering the forest, as if attracted by some sort of force.

Afterwards, Rebecca commented:

"Today was the first time Cú Chulainn disobeyed my order."

Part 9

Around the same time that Ddraig was born…

Somewhere far away the academy, a handsome young man was meditating under a waterfall in a cave.

The man had dark silver hair and had only his black pants on. His black jacket was lying on a rock somewhere a little far off.

No matter what happens whether an earthquake or monsters' loud roar, nothing would be able to disturb his five hour meditation.

But today with only one hour left…

The man's light blue eyes slowly opened.

"This sensation…"

The man muttered to himself while rubbing his Seikoku on his back that's glowing white.

"Is something wrong Albion?"

[…Fufufu.]

"Albion?"

[…Fufu. Vali!]

"Yeah?"

[He's awakened!]

"! You mean…!"

[Yes! The red-one.]

Vali smiled evily. His handsome face distorted to that of a battle-maniac.

"FufufuHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Vali laughed loudly like a child who found a new play toy.

"My rival has finally awakened! It's about time! Even though we got our pals at the same time, I was starting to get a little impatient! Hey Albion! Should we pay him a little visit?"

[Patience Vali. He's just awakened. There's a chance you might affect his growth or critically injure him. Worse case is that you could end up killing him.]

"…Hmm…You're right Albion I should wait just a little longer."

Vali starts to laugh again while his Seikoku starts to glow.

PAM!

Out of nowhere a bright white aura expands outward evaporating the water in the cave stopping the waterfall momentarily. The monsters that felt it shuddered in fear and tried to get out of the cave.

When the light faded, Vali was standing there. The most abnormal thing was coming out of his back.

A pair of white Dragon wings that's giving off blue light.

"Hurry and catch up to me. So we can find out who's the strongest. My rival."

"The Awakening of the Red Dragon ~A.S.B.1365.4~" is closed.

Author's Note

Just to give more info about Ddraig's baby form, the body is a mixture between organic and inorganic, so he can't grow. I'm not sure if Ddraig will get an adult form yet.

For Vali, the best place for him to appear will probably after Veronica's visit or better to say Volume 3. So it won't be for a while. It's better for Ash to get an Ark before they meet.

If you find any grammer mistakes, please let me know.

If you enjoy this, read my other stories.