Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi

Volume 12, Chapter 3 - The Dragon’s Tail, Labrock, Part 1-3

Part 1

The following afternoon.

The magical ship Escavaron sailed smoothly across the sea, approaching the capital of the Labrock Trade Union, the merchant port city of Respighi. For fear of being mistaken as an invading enemy, the flag of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights was hoisted at the bow.

Ash and the others couldn’t help but leak sighs of admiration as they laid eyes upon Respighi’s harbour in the distance whilst gathered in the cockpit to prepare for docking.

“Ah, no matter how many times I see it, the scenery of this city is still just as breathtaking.”

Silvia murmured to herself in admiration. As expected, it seemed that this was not the first time that the princess of the Knight Country’s royal family had visited the city of Respighi.

“How do I put this…its atmosphere feels different from that of a normal city.”

Ash was also fascinated by the scenery of the harbour city. Most cities of the era were generally surrounded by towering walls. Even the academy city of Ansarivan and the capital of the Knight Country, Fontaine City, were no exception. However, Respighi was different. The city was built along the coastline. A little away from the coast was a vast and lush mountain landscape where the white-walled buildings that lined the slope were not only beautiful, but also radiant.

“If I had to describe one thing as picturesque, it would be the scenery right in front of us.”

Linda quietly stood by Ash’s side as she expressed her thoughts in a mature manner. Perhaps she had reached the age where she liked to show off difficult words.

“If you’re surrounded by mountains and the sea like this, then you don’t need to rely on city walls for defence. It’s practically a natural fortress.”

Rebecca explained in a scholarly manner.

“It really is such a beautiful city. Are there any special dishes here?”

Eco had a predatory gaze as she stuck her tongue out and licked her lips.

“Eco, we’re not here for sightseeing, you know? But, since it is a seaside city, I think the seafood would be worth a try.”

Ash couldn’t help but make a wry smile as he gazed upon Eco’s eagerness to eat.

“Speaking of the Labrock region, ‘scialatelli’ is quite famous!”

Jessica said, with an air of wisdom.

“What kind of spell is that…?”

“Fufu, oh Ash-sama. Scialatelli is handmade pasta.”

Only after listening to Cosette’s explanation did Ash understand.

“By the way, Ash. Although we’re going to visit the official residence of Doge Machiavelli…do you think it would be a bit too presumptuous if all of us went there?”

Ash turned around upon hearing the question that Rebecca asked. It was certainly possible that it would cause trouble if an entire group of people went to visit someone’s residence.

“That’s right. Why don’t we cut the number down to around five or six people?”

“Yes, I concur. Let’s decide who’s going to join the visit right now.”

Ash nodded in agreement with Rebecca’s proposal. As the leader, Ash and his Pal Eco had to be included. Next was Silvia, as a representative of the Lautreamont Knight Country. Naturally, Cosette would accompany her. Rebecca would also be indispensable for her wisdom and courage on this visit. The final spot should be for Mirabel — Ash thought to himself. In fact, most of the group members were far more interested in visiting the shopping district and restaurants of the port city Respighi instead of meeting with the Doge. Jessica and Raymond were already engrossed in tourist brochures that they had picked up. Ash wouldn’t be able to contain his excitement either if this was purely a sightseeing trip, given the exquisite beauty of the port city. With a wry smile across his face, Ash walked over to the captain’s seat to have a chat with Mirabel.

“I’m sorry, Ash. The magic ship Escavaron needs maintenance, so I’ll be staying behind.”

Unexpectedly, Mirabel seemed to have understood his intentions, and she declined before he could even get a word out.

“If that’s the case, then it can’t be helped. I’ll leave it in your hands, Mirabel-san. That means it’ll just be the five of us going to visit—”

“Umm, please listen to me, everyone!”

Linda quickly spoke up to interrupt Ash.

“I’ve heard that Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights is not only a knight order, but also an independent country. If nii-san will be attending a diplomatic occasion as the representative, then I believe that a certain existence is absolutely indispensable!”

“What is that?”

Eco frowned in confusion.

“That would be the [First Lady]!”

Linda declared in an inexplicably excited tone. As soon as she had blurted such words out, Ash noticed that the atmosphere in the cockpit instantly tensed up. At the same time, the ship suddenly ground to a halt.

“S-Sorry…!”

Anya embarrassedly apologised to everyone as she had been manning the controls. For some reason, her cheeks seemed red.

“[First Lady]…huh. I’ve seen that term in a novel I borrowed from Cosette before. For some reason, it sounds quite romantic…”

“Y-Yes. It’s almost like a magical word…”

Both Eco and Silvia’s eyes looked a bit unsteady, and they made expressions as though they were entranced in fantasy.

“My…my emotions have been stirred as well!”

Jessica appeared to writhe in anguish. She cast her tourism brochure to the side as she began to emit a competitive aura.

“The First Lady…the first…”

Although Lucca previously displayed no interest, she also blushed as she recited the magical words over and over again. On the other hand, although Rebecca and Silvia remained silent and feigned calmness, one could vaguely sense that they seemed a little restless and concerned.

“—That’s quite the interesting topic you’re discussing.”

Even Navi decided to materialise. Moreover, her outfit was more radiant and beautiful than ever before, exemplifying her coquettish womanly charm.

—First Lady.

Ash was simply stunned by the hidden power within those words. Perhaps Linda’s remark ignited the competitive spirit of all the women who were present. Disregarding the worries that began to surface in her brother’s mind, Linda continued with her proposal in high spirits.

“Ahem! A head of state without a First Lady would seem rather unsophisticated — doesn’t everyone agree?”

“Hmm…I didn’t think of that at all. As expected of Ash’s little sister, she can’t be underestimated…”

Silvia muttered in a low voice.

“Having said that, nii-san is still a bachelor, so naturally there is no First Lady. In light of this—”

Linda took a deep breath with a smug expression across her face.

“As the younger sister, I shall attend as the [Acting First Lady]!”

“What do you mean by ‘in light of this’!? Although what you started off with was plausible…you really just wanted to home in on the last part didn’t you?”

“It wouldn’t be wrong to say that.”

Linda stuck her tongue out with a confident expression.

“I see. Linda’s proposal is actually quite feasible.”

Unexpectedly, Rebecca was the first to express agreement.

“How could you say that?”

It didn’t appear as though Eco could accept such an outcome.

“Looking back on history, it’s not actually surprising that blood relatives of the head of state appear at national events as the Acting First Lady. Moreover, having Linda play this role would also be the best option in maintaining harmony among the women who will be present.”

“Hmm. T-That’s true…”

Eco was persuaded by Rebecca’s level-headed explanation. No one else appeared to have any objections. In any case, Ash breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that a potential bomb on the verge of exploding had been defused. However, he once again realised that he wasn’t yet at Rebecca’s level.

“Very well. Linda will also attend the meeting then—”

“…Ash. The ship on the other side seems to have noticed us.”

In that moment, Lucca tugged on Ash’s sleeve. There were indeed three large ships approaching from the port towards the Escavaron. The leading ship flicked its lights on and off as if to signal something.

“That should the police agency that protects Labrock’s city — a ship of the [Carabinieri].”

Mirabel calmly whispered.

“Signal interpretation! What the other party means is…[We sincerely welcome Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights].”

Anya’s voice resounded loudly through the cockpit.

“Thank you, Anya. Our ship will enter the port under the guidance of the Carabinieri—”

Mirabel declared in a dignified manner as she stood up from the captain’s seat.

Part 2

The Carabinieri were excellent navigators, and the Escavaron was safely moored in port after about fifteen minutes.

“Ash-sama!”

As soon as Ash and the others landed, they were unexpectedly received with a warm welcome and many cheers.

“Whoa! What’s going on here…?”

Ordinary citizens appeared to have come to the port along with their companions in order to secure a spot where they would be able to witness the splendour of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. Moreover, it wasn’t just a few dozen, but a few hundred people who had turned up. The vast majority of those soaking up the excitement were women who kept screaming in elation towards Ash. They were so frenzied that even the guards who formed a human wall to hold them back appeared to struggle. It was as if they had been surrounded by hundreds of Jessicas.

“Fufu. I’d heard that women in the south were generally more aggressive…but I didn’t expect them to be this enthusiastic.”

Rebecca joked with a mischievous smile behind Ash.

“W-What’s wrong with those girls…!?”

In contrast to Rebecca, Eco was obviously displeased.

“—Apologies for the delay, guests of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

A graceful figure silently appeared and made an elegant bow. It was a maid that seemed to give off a dainty impression.

“I am Doge Machiavelli’s personal secretary — Vittoria Clementi.”

Although she certainly looked like a maid, her title was actually that of a ‘secretary’. Her outfit was primarily red in colour and was not a type that would be seen in the Knight Country. At a glance, it appeared to be a maid uniform, yet at the same time its design was similar to that of a military officer’s uniform. Her skirt was also rather short and seemed to be designed with ease of movement in mind. Vittoria was probably in her late teens, though such an age seemed a little immature for a secretary. Her eyes which seemed to stare blankly into the distance were light grey. Her hair was dark brown and done up with round braids on both the left and right.

“That hairstyle…it can’t be!”

Eco suddenly revealed a shocked expression.

“Is something the matter?”

Ash nervously asked.

“She’s definitely copying me!”

After saying so, Eco rubbed her own horns.

“Of course not. It’s just a fashionable hairstyle.”

Ash coldly replied. Indeed, Vittoria had round braids that were somewhat similar to the rounded horns on Eco’s head…

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ash Blake.”

After Ash stepped forward and introduced himself, Vittoria responded with a blank expression,

“I have prepared a carriage for all of you. This way, please.”

Ushered by Vittoria, Ash and the others made their way to the harbour’s exit. Cheers surrounded them as they moved along the road. Feeling a bit guilty for pretending not to hear anything, Ash smiled and waved to the people who had gathered.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaa!”

Unexpectedly, this only added fuel to the fire, causing the response to become even more ecstatic.

“Hey! Can you not seduce these foreign female animals?”

Eco immediately pinched Ash’s side.

“Owwow! Don’t you feel bad just ignoring all of that though?”

“Ugh whatever, this is all because you’re too soft-hearted…”

After a while, Ash and the others arrived at the harbour’s exit. A luxurious carriage that was fit for state guests came into view. The side of the carriage was adorned with the emblem of the Port City Respighi. Sitting in the conductor’s seat was an old man in a tidy uniform.

“Let us escort you to the Doge’s residence now.”

Following Vittoria’s instructions, Ash and the others boarded the carriage. The carriage left the harbour at once and entered the city. What they saw through the carriage window was old-fashioned street scenery. Ash thought to himself, “The scenery here has such a classical nostalgic charm”.

“Wow…!”

Like young children, Eco and Linda pressed their faces up against the window. The streets were densely lined with Labrock-style buildings. A cathedral known as the [Duomo] was rather eye-catching. Another feature of the streets was that there were workshops everywhere. Supposedly, the clothing, gemstones, artwork, and handicrafts here were world-renowned and adored by royalty and nobility alike. At that very moment, a loud ‘bang’ echoed in the street.

“Gunfire!?”

Ash and the others felt so nervous that they instinctively cowered. The same terrifying noise rang out again and again. It did indeed seem to be the sound of gunfire. Like a black whirlwind, a team with the Carabinieri emblem on their backs hurried through the street. All of them were fully armed.

“Vittoria-san!? What happened…?”

“Apologies for startling you. These days, there have been frequent robberies in various parts of the city targeting financial institutions and the wealthy…a mafia conflict so to speak.”

Vittoria briefly explained, as if it were none of her business.

“Disputes of this magnitude are commonplace here, so please rest assured.”

Vittoria’s overly calm demeanour only served to evoke greater fear.

“After all, this is the Demonic Capital Respighi—”

War between rival mafia gangs and the mobilisation of the Carabinieri — Ash was unable to understand the perspective of how such a dire situation was only described as a mere ‘conflict’. Perhaps it was a difference in culture. It applied even to the ordinary pedestrians on the road who appeared unperturbed by the sounds of gunshots in broad daylight.

—This city is too absurd…

Just as Ash thought so, the carriage entered the administrative district — they arrived at the official residence in its centre that was as imposing as a fortress.

Part 3

“—Pardon the intrusion, milady. I have escorted Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights here.”

Vittoria stopped in front of a luxurious door as she offered a report to the master within the room.

[Ah, please let them in.]

The voice that answered through the door was low-pitched yet had an odd dynamic charisma.

“Ash-sama, please enter.”

Under Vittoria’s guidance, Ash and the others entered the office. The person who greeted Ash and the others was a woman reminiscent of a ferocious lion. She possessed a domineering beauty and looked like a female mafia boss. She was like a work of art as she sat at her desk, elegantly smoking a cigar. A gold ring adorned her right index finger. A so-called signet ring. It was engraved with a seal that depicted the mythical beast of Labrock — the silhouette of a griffin. It was likely a token handed down in the succession of the Doges. She had wavy, light blonde hair. To describe it in Labrock terms, it would probably be called ‘oro bianco’. Earrings of a black cross hung from her left and right earlobes. Although she wore a straight grey suit, it was unable to contain the curvaceous beauty of her body, and Ash couldn’t help but admire the sight of her figure. Despite her attractive figure, her gaze was far too fierce, and it made her feel somewhat less feminine. Ash couldn’t help but shiver so long as he stared at her.

“Welcome everyone and thank you for coming from afar. I am Francesca Machiavelli.”

The beautiful woman introduced herself with a poker-like expression.

“I-It’s an honour to meet you. I’m the Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights, Ash Blake. This is my Pal—”

“My name is Eco.”

“Oh…so you’re the dragon with the appearance of a human — Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor huh…”

Machiavelli narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Eco.

“Fufu. You look very fleshy and delicious.”

“What!?”

Eco’s face turned pale and she instantly hid herself behind Ash.

“You imbecile! How impudent of you to treat the noble dragon race as a source of meat!”

“…What, can I not even make a joke?”

After leisurely saying so, Machiavelli lazily puffed out a cloud of smoke. Although she didn’t appear to be joking, Ash decided to defuse the situation as it would do no good to annoy Machiavelli now.

“My apologies, Machiavelli-san. Eco is from the dragon race and not well-versed in human affairs. Would you please be able to overlook this trifle?”

“Hmm. It seems you have a much better understanding of etiquette.”

Machiavelli replied with indifference, as if Eco’s words hadn’t offended her.

“Ngh~!”

Although Eco seemed somewhat dissatisfied, it would not be worth it if she messed up their meeting over something so trivial. In any case, all of the people who accompanied Ash presented themselves in front of Machiavelli and introduced themselves.

“I’m the Fourth Princess of the Lautreamont Knight Country, Silvia Lautreamont. Due to some complicated circumstances, I am not an official member of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights…though I am currently with the Escavaron as an ambassador to Avalon.”

“Oh, if it isn’t the famous [Ice Blue Princess]? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Machiavelli’s expression softened a little as she looked intently at Silvia. Having said that, her attitude was still rather arrogant toward the princess of a foreign nation. Whether it was because she had a natural penchant for boldness, or because the word ‘etiquette’ didn’t exist in her dictionary — Ash had no idea.

“I am Her Highness’ personal maid, Cosette Shelley.”

After Cosette made a graceful bow, it was then Rebecca’s turn to introduce herself.

“I am Rebecca Randall of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hmm. So, you’re the [Scarlet Empress] huh. I also heard about how you turned down an invitation to join Lautreamont’s Order of Holy Dragonars and chose instead to join Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights.”

“Much obliged.”

After Rebecca replied so with grace, it was then Linda’s turn. Linda was the only one who wore a formal dress here. Although she avoided wearing any excessively luxurious accessories to match the diplomatic occasion, her ‘specialness’ was still well conveyed. Even Ash was somewhat stunned, thinking to himself ‘there’d be nothing shameful about bringing my sister to an occasion when she’s like this’.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doge Machiavelli. I’m the ‘Acting First Lady’, Linda Blake.”

As Linda made a solemn bow, her face was visibly filled with pride. Eco and Silvia both seemed apprehensive as they narrowed their eyes and observed Linda who acted with grace. Ash was momentarily terrified.

“I see — since Ash is yet unmarried, his younger sister is the ‘Acting First Lady’. That’s very smart of you.”

After Machiavelli praised Linda with a smile, her expression immediately returned to that of seriousness.

“Since we’ve all introduced ourselves, let’s get down to business. No need to be so nervous. Let’s just take it easy.”

Machiavelli led the group to a dining table that was filled with a variety of local dishes. In addition to the common dishes such as pizza and wine-steamed mussels, there was also handmade pasta with fish and shellfish. The thick pasta appeared as though it would have great texture and flavour. Moreover, there were also pork ribs that had been grilled to a perfect brown colour, as well as vegetable and tomato soup.

“Wow…!”

Eco salivated at the sheer sight. Although she had been teased by Machiavelli just earlier, her anger seemed to have instantly disappeared. Because Ash hadn’t eaten lunch yet, he had also been enduring the growls of his stomach.

“I’m going to dig in!”

Eco emphatically declared.

“Hey! Don’t forget to say grace before you eat!”

Silvia sharply reminded Eco.

“What a feast!”

Even Linda displayed her childlike innocence as she cast off her restraint as the First Lady. She began stuffing mussels into her mouth as she uttered sounds of enjoyment. With such liveliness, everyone commenced the meeting while also enjoying the local cuisine.