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Chapter 2 - Ash's and Silvia's study group
Part 1
Under Silvia’s command, Ash was given an empty room.
It seemed that Cosette had cleaned the room some time before since it was clean and tidy.
Looking around the room, there was a small desk for studying and even a sofa and a single bed. A classy Dragon Crystal lamp was hanging on the ceiling.
When Ash sat on the sofa after he moved all his luggage into the room, he could smell the scent of lavender. It was from the incense burner on the shelf. He felt that the room had everything he needed. I might as well stay here for the rest of my school days… Ash even has such thoughts.
By the way, although Ash was alright with staying with Eco in the same room, Silvia who was a little stubborn could never allow it.
She thought that it was outrageous for Eco, who looked like a girl, to stay in the same room with him even though she was actually a dragon.
In the end, it was decided that Eco would be sleeping with Silvia.
“…Must we stay here for the coming two weeks?”
Ash suddenly thought that this was a weird summer.
The Fourth Princess, Silvia Lautreamont was just staying at a wall’s distance away.
It was easier to believe this if this is a dream.
Just when Ash let his thoughts wonder, there was a knock on his door.
He was greeted by Silvia when he opened the door. Somehow, she looked kind of sweet.
“What’s the matter, Princess-sama?”
“I-It is about time for dinner.”
“Aah… So it is about that time. I didn’t even notice.”
Ash just realised that it was already evening. Days like this particular busy day seemed to always pass so quickly.
“Erm… What are you going to do for dinner, Ash?”
“Since it is the summer holidays, the student’s restaurant La Tene would only provide lunch. How does Princess-sama deal with her usual meals?”
“I always ate Cosette’s handmade meals. There is a restaurant like kitchen in this royal room.”
“Wow. But, I don’t like the idea of bothering you for my meal… So, I think I will head out to the streets together with Eco.”
“No, wait… Cosette had some personal matters that she had to attend to. She probably won’t be able to return in such short notice.”
“Eh? Come join us then?”
Silvia did not reply. Somehow, she was gripping the sides of her skirts with her head down and started trembling. Just like when someone was having a heat stroke, her face was bright red.
“Princess-sama? Are you alright?”
Silvia shouted after being asked by Ash.
“D-Do you want to give my handmade meal a try!? How about it!?”
At the same time, a piece of paper flew out from her pocket.
It dropped right beside Ash’s foot. It seemed that Silvia had not noticed that her paper had fallen on to the ground.
“…?”
Ash picked up that paper.
- ‘Shelley family’s secret. A recipe to make men dream’.
“What is this?”
“Uwaaa! Give that back! Give that back to me right now!”
Silvia leaped towards Ash in a panic. She was only thinking about getting back the piece of paper.
“Hey! Calm down, Princess-sama! I will give it back to you! Waaaaaa!”
Silvia slipped and fall against Ash. Ash grabbed her immediately but instead he end up being able to feel her softness of her body and her body heat. But the next moment, Ash too felt on the ground together with her.
“Ooouch!”
Ash almost chocked from falling on his back. He slowly opened his eyes while moaning.
The first thing that came into his sight was her golden hair.
-This is bad! I… am hugging Princess-sama!
Ash was panicking but luckily Silvia finally sat up her body.
“S-Sorry Ash… Are you alright?”
Silvia’s face was bright red when she was looking at Ash. Her golden hair fell on her shoulders and touched Ash’s face. It smelled like honey.
“I am alright but… T-this position… Is a little bad for my heart.”
Ash was speaking as if he was out of breathe.
“Eh…?”
Silvia finally noticed that she was riding on Ash. And because her legs were spread open, her skirt had been rolled up and the white cloth came into his sight.
“Doooooooon’t stare!”
With tears in her eyes, Silvia started punching Ash.
“Ouch! Ouch! Please stop immediately and move aside!”
Silvia who felt too much embarrassment couldn't stop punching Ash, it seems that she did not heard him.
“Hey, I think it is about time for dinner- Hey! What are you doing!?”
Eco who should be still lying on Silvia’s bed suddenly appeared in the corridor.
“Eco…! This is a misunderstanding! It is an accident!”
“So… Want to be crushed by me!?”
Too bad for him, Eco was not in the mood to listen to his explanation. She was approaching with an angry look on her face.
Part 2
“Next… A small spoonful of salt and a piece of bay leaf… Also, a small amount of black pepper. But isn’t the word ‘small amount’ a little unclear…?”
Silvia was staring at the recipe for some time after she tied her hair into a bun and put on her apron.
Just moments before, she thought about boiling the soup first, however it seems that she was troubled by the amount of black pepper that she was going to use. As expected, Silvia who had not done any cooking since the day of her birth faced trouble from the word ‘small amount’.
“Err… I would also like to help you. May I?”
Silvia was surprised to see Eco walking into the kitchen.
“But, do you have any experience in cooking?”
“Impossible! But… Just before Cosette leave, she gave me this. I just want to try challenging this.”
Eco showed her a piece of paper.
Silvia had a bad feeling.
“Could it be that it is also ‘Shelley family’s secret recipe’?”
Eco turned red the moment she was told.
It seems that Cosette had handed both Silvia and Eco the recipe.
“Damn that Cosette… Even when she knew clearly what I was thinking, how dare she still support Eco from behind…! Even after she had been working for me for ages…!”
Without noticing, Silvia clenched her fist.
“Err… What’s wrong with you?”
Silvia cooled down her temper the moment she was asked by Eco.
“No, nothing. Nothing at all.”
After she took a deep breath and calm herself down, she turned her head towards Eco.
Silvia who had calmed down suddenly noticed something new.
Although it was common that the dragon was always mistaken as a ferocious beast by foreign countries, but whenever a person saw the majestic Ark, they would have noticed that the dragons are a race that had their own unique beauty and also a race with strong creativity.
- Could Eco be…. Even though she had no experience in cooking, who knows if she too has talent! Cooking can be even considered as an art creation…!
Silvia was somehow feeling excited. If Eco shows her true skills, who knows if she might be able to create a delicious meal.
On the other hand, Silvia had no confidence in herself. Since the day she was born, it is a natural thing to her that meals were laid out properly to her. She never had the thought of cooking at all. She even though that riding on Lancelot for a thousand miles is far easier than this.
-That’s it. Even though it will be a hindrance… If I can get Eco’s help… I will feel less embarrassed in front of Ash.
Although it was not an honorable thing to do, but a little sacrifice was required. Right now, Eco is an important asset to her.
Silvia once again pulled herself together and placed her hand on Eco’s shoulder.
“Why don’t we try cooking together? There is even an extra apron and barrette over there.”
“Alright.”
Eco quietly put on the apron and handed Silvia the barrette as if she want Silvia to help her put it on.
Her actions were somehow cute and it made Silvia’s heart skipped a beat. Silvia somehow had a feeling that Eco is like a little sister to her.
It was kind of a new feeling to Silvia who was the youngest in her family.
“Alright then.”
Silvia smiled and stood behind Eco.
Since Eco had quite a lot of hair, Silvia tied two buns on the left and right side of her head.
“We are done. Hmm… Aren’t you looking cute?”
“R-Real…”
Eco seemed to be a little shy. She was probably not used to being praised.
“Alright, let’s begin!”
Silvia clenched her fist tightly and her action was followed by Eco.
“As you wish!”
Part 3
-Is this even food!?
After waiting for two whole hours, Ash felt shivers by seeing the food that was laid out in front of him. Whatever it may be, it gave the same feeling as the first time Ash met the Necromancia.
He couldn’t even believe that it was food after seeing and smelling it.
It somehow looked a little unbalanced that the tableware was of high quality while the food itself looked comical.
To begin with, why was the soup colour purple like poison?
Is that piece of coal actually bread or a piece of meat?
Ash couldn’t even be bothered to think about the thing that was all mashed up as if it was an animal being ran over by a horse carriage.
Even so, they were the hard works of both Eco and Silvia.
A few band aids could be seen on Silvia’s fingers and the sauce and ketchup mess on Eco’s apron looked like some drawings.
“Hmm, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you eating?”
Eco was speaking confidently, which in a way or another caused Ash to be confused.
“Ahem… You don’t have to eat it if it is not to your liking.”
As expected from Silvia, she seemed to notice that something was off. But the problem is much worse than whether he likes it or not.
At that moment, Silvia started grumbling beside Eco’s ear.
“Eco… Are you really a dragon!? This is not even up to my expectations!”
“W-What! I had placed all my efforts in this!”
“But… Who would know that you are clumsier than me…”
Ash took the spoon while ignoring what the two of them were saying.
“Then, let’s eat.”
He felt that judging the food on its appearance and smell that was specially made for him was somehow disrespectful and rude.
Who knows if it was actually a delicious meal.
Ash took a spoonful of the weird coloured soup. A smell so bad that was like a gas attack flowed into Ash’s nostrils. He kept on enduring it while he sent it into his mouth.
Due to the extreme fear, he closed his eyes. The gooey liquid first came into contact with his tongue.
At that instant, electricity flowed through his spine and he experienced a fierce sensation.
“~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~!!!”
Ash tried screaming but his voice was stuck at his throat. Then he fell from his chair.
Part 4
The Dragon Fang Restaurant in Ansarivan town center was full of customers.
It was a public restaurant that Rebecca had told Ash about. The shop offered a half price discount for the student council members. It was said that the relative of the shop owner was a breeder and was also a student council member during his schooling years. On a first glance, there were big burly men in the shop talking about politics with a beer mug in their hands.
Most of their talks were centering on the huge dragon that attacked Fontaine City. Who would even imagine that the huge dragon herself had walked into the shop? It seemed that no one had noticed the arrival of the trio. It also seemed that the student with the golden hair was Princess Silvia.
“Huu… I've just gone through hell.”
Just after the trio was led to a table for four, Ash started complaining. It seems that his tongue was still numb.
Silvia who was sitting facing Ash immediately turned mad.
“Tsk… You shouldn’t faint, no matter how bad the food is! What do you take a girl’s cooking as!?”
“No, I think fainting is a blessing for me. It is embarrassing if a Dragner dies from food poisoning.”
“Do you have to go that far!?”
Silvia was almost in tears.
“Hmph… You are lucky. He never even touched mine!”
Eco was grumbling beside Ash.
“I even thought of stuffing them into your mouth while you were unconscious.”
“Are you trying to kill me!?”
Ash felt a chill when he realized that he was inches away from death.
“Sorry for the wait. What would you like to order?”
At that moment their conversation was interrupted by a waitress with a smiling face.
Part 5
The Dragon Fang Restaurant’s special such as beef fillet steak and spare rib was placed on the table.
Somehow Eco, who was always the first to grab the food, was acting rather quiet today.
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Eh? No, nothing…”
Eco hurriedly sent the salad on the fork into her mouth.
Ash was worried since Eco took no notice of the meat on the middle of the table.
“Are you really all right? That is your favourite beef fillet? Are you not going to eat the spare rib?”
“You… can have it.”
Eco was looking on her knees when she sighed. This is the first time she did not react to the meat in front of her.
“Ash. Eco is a girl coming of age. It is normal that she sometimes doesn’t have any appetite. Today should be that day.”
“I-Is it…?”
Eco is a young dragon who was not even a year old. That may be the case but she definitely looks like a girl coming of age. Could the source of her trouble originate from this afternoon’s incident? But this is not the right time to ask.
Maybe I should listen to Silvia and let her be… Ash thought.
Part 6
When the dessert arrived, Ash asked Silvia.
“Now that I think about it, aren't you going home?”
Followed by that, Silvia showed him a sour look and placed her glass on the table. Judging from the way she place her glass, she was definitely pissed.
“I can’t believe it… Have you forgotten about the supplementary test!?”
“Aah!”
Supplementary test. The weight of these two words seemed to hit his head hard.
That’s right. Ash and Silvia couldn't take the final exam last month. However, since they had sufficient reasons, after requesting from the management department, they were given the chance to take a supplementary exam during summer. They will be given the same credit if they can pass.
However, due to him constantly worrying about Eco, he completely forgot about the exam.
If it is the practical test, Ash had confidence that he would ace since he was no other than ‘The boy who can ride any dragon”.
The problem was the written test.
Apart from the normal subjects like math, literature, science and history, there were also subjects like dragon history, ecology, breeding studies… and many more special subjects that need to be learned in the dragon riding academy.
“Err… When will the exam be held?”
Silvia sighed upon hearing.
“The written test will be held a week from now. You won’t be allowed to take the practical test if you fail the written test.”
“What….!?”
Ash turned numb.
If he couldn't squeeze out a pass in the written exam, he won’t be able to bring up his result with his practical test which he was good in.
“Let me put this bluntly. You are now a member of the student council. How can you face Rebecca, who scouted you, if your results are bad.”
Silvia’s words stabbed right at his heart.
“What should I do…? I don't even have the slightest confidence in my written exam. It is impossible! There is only a week left! I would need to retain a year if I fail…!”
Ash was crying in agony which made Silvia sympathize with him.
“-All right?”
“Eh? What did you just say?”
Silvia blushed when she was asked. She then announced loudly:
“I said I can help you with your test!”
“Really?”
Since the time she entered the academy, her results had always been the top of her year. If Silvia was to teach him, he can at least avoid retaining a year.
“Thank you, Princess-sama!”
Part 7
On the next morning, both Ash and Silvia were up early in order to prepare for the exam.
Notes and text books were all over the dining table in the royal room. The table which was initially like a painting of hell since yesterday was tidied up by Ash.
“Let’s start.”
Silvia sat beside Ash. She was neatly dressed in a blouse and a tight skirt. By putting on her fashionable eyeglasses, she looked like a teacher. She was probably the type who needs a suitable atmosphere to be able to concentrate.
“Eco would probably cause a ruckus after she wakes up… So is it okay with you that we start with the most important subject first?”
“Aah… All right.”
Although it hurts Ash that she need to put Eco aside, but right now, his priority is studying for the exam.
“Then, let’s start from the Mother Dragon. This is the most important part for the first term. Please listen carefully.”
Silvia was totally like a teacher.
“Hmm… The Mother Dragon… Usually, she sometimes becomes the topic of our talk, but I am not actually sure what kind of a dragon is she.”
“She is basically different from the rest of the dragons. Though I tried investigating on my own, there are still too many questions remaining unanswered. Since what is not mentioned in the text book won’t be in the exam, we should start from memorizing the textbook. Can you please read page fifty eight?”
“Okay.”
Ash started reading the ecology textbook.
-The mother dragon will only appear in front of humans during the Orphan Ceremony. Only when she found a child qualified to become Breeder she will appear and bestow an Orphan to the child.
“By the way, Ash, is Lancelot a male or female?”
Ash was shocked by Silvia’s sudden question.
“About that, is Lancelot a male? I mean its name sound manly.”
“Are you an idiot! How can you call yourself a student of Ansarivan?”
“Eeh? So it is a female?”
“That’s also wrong! The correct answer is none of the above!”
“That my first time hearing it.”
“Do you even listen during classes!? In the ancient time, dragons do have difference in genders, but… I mean…. F-For them to mate to reproduce.”
Silvia was blushing and trying to avert her eyes.
Talking about that, Ash started noticing Silvia’s curves. The Silvia right now was very alluring.
“But, during the long history, the dragons who almost faced extinction invoked the wise dragon magic, Albion. That had totally changed their ecosystem and since then, the Mother Dragon was responsible for reproducing and the dragons had lost their genders.”
“Now I see… But no matter how I look at it, Eco is a girl isn’t she?”
Silvia turned speechless upon hearing Ash’s words.
“It seems so. Why did I not notice it?... Even so, Eco is a special dragon.”
Could it be that apart from being the Avalon’s holy dragons' emperor family's descendent, there are still many more mysteries surrounding Eco that was yet to be found? Ash thought secretly.
The dragons should have lost their genders since a long time ago.
However, Eco was obviously born in the body of a girl.
What is the actual reason behind it…?
“Even so, since Mother Dragon is also a dragon, she should need astral in order to survive, however, it is a surprise that she never had any contract with anyone. Unfortunately, these facts were not written in any books…. Hey, Ash, are you even listening?”
“Eh? Aah… Sorry.”
Ash immediately straightened his body when he was glared by Silvia.
“Tsk…I bet you acted the same way during class. Anyway, please read the textbook starting from this part until this part for one more time and drill them into your head.”
Silvia leaned forward and underlined the important area.
“…!”
Ash held his breath when he saw Silvia’s breast through the gaps of her collars.
“Huh? Is everything all right, Ash?”
“No, nothing! Nothing!”
“What a weird person…”
Part 8
“Hmm, it is time for us to take a short break.”
After she briefed through the examination scope, Silvia place her pen on the table.
Silvia looked a little tired and Ash on the other hand was exhausted from being forced to memorize all the important subjects.
“Are you all right, Ash? Your dream to pass will remain a dream if you are troubled by just these.”
Actually, Silvia tried encouraging him but she only spoke strict words since the beginning.
“I will work harder…”
Ash had his head laid on the table when he answered weakly.
“Tsk. Cosette, make us some tea…”
Silvia remembered that Cosette was no longer with her the moment she turned around.
Unfortunately, Silvia herself had never made tea before. She doesn’t have the confidence to make a cup of tea that can match with Cosette’s standard.
At the same time, she doesn’t want Ash to take her as an idiot who doesn’t even know how to make tea.
Just as Silvia was troubled by this, Ash stood up and gave her a wry smile.
“I will make the tea in return for teaching me.”
“S-Sorry.”
“I may not look like it but I am actually good at doing housework. Since I don’t have a father at home, I was always doing some housework like cooking, taking care of my sister and many more when my mother was at work.”
After that, Ash left for the kitchen and he suddenly looked like a reliable person. Even though Silvia had been teaching him from the start, but their roles had changed with just a cup of tea.
After she heard noise coming from the kitchen, Silvia started mumbling to herself:
“If, Ash… If he is that boy… What should I do? No, but… The boy had given Lancelot to me. Thinking back carefully, it is impossible for him to become a Breeder in the first place.”
“-Why do you need to mention Ash?”
Silvia had a shock of her life when she heard another voice.
Eco’s face had suddenly appeared in front of Silvia.
Since her hair was still in a mess, it looked like she had just woken up. But her beauty still remains and it made it seems like her body was glittering.
Although Silvia had always hated to be seen by anyone except Cosette the moment she wake up, but Eco doesn’t seem to mind it.
Suddenly, Silvia felt guilty when she saw Eco. It was probably due to her spending time studying with Ash for the entire morning when Eco was sleeping.
Without knowing what Silvia was thinking, Eco asked innocently:
“Where is he?”
“Aah, he is making tea.”
Eco threw Silvia a sharp glance upon hearing.
“Are the two of you playing when I was sleeping?”
“I-Impossible! He may face retaining a year if I choose not to teach him. That’s the truth! It will really happen if I ‘choose not to teach’! At the same time, isn’t it bad for you as well as his Pal if he was to retain a year?”
Silvia was in a pinch by trying to explain to Eco.
“Hey, Eco. You are finally awake?”
At that moment, Ash appeared from the kitchen holding a tray with the tea set.
“…It is already noon. You better change your clothing.”
Eco immediately turned red as if she doesn’t want anyone to see her in her pyjamas. She hurriedly ran out from the room.
Silvia was anxious about Eco’s behaviour. The past Eco was always arrogant and never get embarrassed from things that a human would. Despite that, compared to her past self, Eco looks more feminine. Am I thinking too much?
“Ash, about Eco… Don’t you think that she is starting to change?”
“Does she? I didn’t notice anything…”
Ash was lying and his face was red from embarrassment. It is impossible for him to not notice when he had been living with Eco under the same roof.
Of course the reason Eco became more feminine was Ash.
After all the things that had happened, surely Eco was…. Just when she thought about that, Silvia felt a pain in her chest.
Part 9
After eating lunch that was made from whatever there is in the larder, Ash was again studying.
This time, Eco was together with them. Since she was just quietly reading her picture books, she didn’t really cause any problem. However, whenever Silvia leaned forward and her distance with Ash become closer…
“Ahem!”
She would always purposely give a cough as a warning. She then continued with her book and did nothing apart from that.
Eco’s actions were completely different compared to her past self.
Just as what Silvia said, Eco was maturing. What she had just shown was jealousy.
Just yesterday, Ash and Eco were kissing in the room with the broken wall.
Although the location was bad, they both had the urge for each other and in the end, they kissed. It was totally like a dream. Ash’s heart started beating rapidly upon remembering the feeling when their lips touched.
On the other hand, Ash noticed that he was attracted to Silvia.
The Lautreamont Royal Knight Family’s fourth Princess, Silvia. Months before, she was just Ash’s classmate. During that time, she was like an unapproachable being to him. If the him a year ago knew about his situation right now, he would definitely have gotten a great shock.
However, the Aries Dragon Riding Festival had become the turning point where their relationship became closer…
“Ash! Hey, Ash! Are you listening…?”
“Uwaa! S-Sorry, Princess-sama…”
After being scolded, Ash came back to his sense.
“Are you all right? It doesn’t feel like your thought is here.”
Silvia was really worried about him. Turning his head around, Eco too was worried about Ash and took a peek at him.
“About that… Many things happen recently, no?”
“Speaking about that, you were involved in the battle during the Selective Training Camp and in Fontaine City.”
Silvia agreed with him. But her thoughts were in the wrong page compared to Ash’s. However, Ash was thankful that she misunderstood him.
He would never admit that he lost concentration because he was stuck in choosing between Silvia and Eco.
Part 10
After three o’clock, it was time for their second tea-time. Since it was boring to drink only red tea, they also took out the biscuits that they found in the kitchen’s cupboard.
“Erm… Princess-sama, I would like to ask you about the stuffed toy.”
“*splurt*”
Suddenly, Silvia spluttered out her red tea.
“Sorry, Princess-sama.”
Ash immediately tried to wipe the table with a tea cloth.
“W-What about the stuffed toy?”
Silvia glared at Ash when she tried to wipe her mouth.
“I mean if it initially belongs to you, how in the world did it came into my possession?”
“How am I to know about that?”
“Then… Do you still remember how do you give it away?”
“That…!”
Suddenly without warning, Silvia was blushing.
“So you did remember. Do you mind me asking?”
“Of course I mind!”
“I see. Then I won’t question you any further.”
Ash understood the situation well and stopped asking but Silvia suddenly stood up.
“Stop! I will tell!”
“Now, which is it?”
“As I said, I will tell you!”
Thus, Silvia started telling the story of the seven year old her attending the Orphan Ceremony in Albion Forest.
Part 11
“I was lost in Albion Forest not long after the Orphan Ceremony started. At the same time, my leg was twisted and help was nowhere to be found… Then, I cried.”
“Princess-sama cried?”
Ash was surprised but it made Silvia blushed.
“It was not like I wanted to! I was seven during that time!”
“Haha… Sorry. So, what happened after that?”
“Erm… At that point, a boy who was attending the same ceremony appeared. He gave me a piggyback ride when we continued looking for the Mother Dragon.”
“Eh…? This is interesting.”
“However, my memories beyond that were fuzzy. Even though I remembered that the Mother Dragon appeared in front of us, I still can’t recall the specifics. But, I still somehow remembered that the boy rejected Lancelot and gave it to me. If I never met him, I will never be able to become a Dragner. Later, I gave him my toy as a token of thanks to him.”
“Did you not ask his name?”
“During that time, we were busy looking for Mother Dragon… And had forgotten to ask for his name. I bet he never noticed that I am actually a princess.”
Silvia sighed.
“Back to the topic…. Who would expect that a seven year old brat was such a kind person. Could he be Princess-sama’s first love?”
Ash asked casually.
“I-If you have time to ask any idiotic question, you might as well spend your time memorizing a few more words!”
Silvia shouted as if she is going to overturn the dining table. Ash turned quiet in afraid of her menacing look. On the other hand, another person was giving both of them a sidelong glance-
“….Haa.”
Eco sighed as if she doesn’t have the spirit to care about the two.
"Silvia’s memory~A.S.B.1365.8~" is closed.