Continues on from Chapter 3 – The Dragon’s Tail, Labrock
Continues on to Chapter 5 – The Outcome of the Bidding Contest
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Chapter 4 – Festival of Darkness
Part 1
“Nn…”
Ash had a terrible nightmare early in the morning. His entire body was being crushed by the jaws of a giant mysterious beast that had pinned him down, and it felt as if his body was about to be crushed – it was the kind of nightmare that made him shudder all over.
“Ha…!”
The nightmare ended and Ash suddenly awoke. The faint glow of morning sun illuminated the bedroom. It wasn’t the Apollo boys’ dormitory, but the interior of the Escavaron.
“…Uoo!”
The next instant, Ash realised that he was in an unusual situation. His bed was supposed to be king-sized, but for whatever reason it was particularly cramped today…it turned out that both Eco and Linda were holding onto him tightly on both sides. Although they were both sound asleep, they tightened their grip on him gradually, as if out of instinct. Ash could hardly endure it any longer.
“Am I a sandwich filling or something…?”
Eco’s slightly bulging chest was pressed up against Ash’s right arm. It felt much softer than it used to, which was proof that Eco had grown. If she continued to push her chest against him like this, it would be difficult not to start having some dirty thoughts. On the other hand, Linda clung on tightly to Ash’s left arm, but—
“Uwaah! W-Why do you look like that…!?”
The hem of Linda’s pyjamas had lifted up, exposing not only her belly but even her chest. Moreover, her pants had slid down to her knees, making her pure white underwear and thighs fully visible. The smooth, tender and silk-like sensation was actually his little sister’s skin.
“Hey! Even if you’re a bad sleeper, this is way too much…wait, she’s always been like this, hasn’t she? She usually looks dignified and mature, but she’s a complete mess when asleep.”
Ash’s memories of living in the countryside vaguely came to mind. It was only a vague memory because he never considered it as anything to worry about seeing his little sister act so innocently back then. They even used to bathe together. But after living apart for five years, the gap between the Linda that he knew back then and now was worlds apart. It was probably as much of a difference between a caterpillar and a butterfly. To Ash, Linda felt more like a female underclassman than a little sister now. That was why seeing her exposed body made his heart race and his face began to turn red….
“I-I have to help her get dressed quickly…!”
Ash quickly sat up and escaped from the sandwich of Eco and Linda.
“…Hmm?”
Just as he was halfway through pulling Linda’s pants up, Ash frowned. A large crest appeared to be tattooed on her abdomen.
“T-This emblem — could it be Linda’s <Seikoku>?”
Ash stared intently at the pattern. The emblem on Linda’s body was probably around the same size as the <Seikoku> on Ash’s left arm, but it somehow felt different to Ash’s <Seikoku>. Linda’s <Seikoku> was a geometric pattern that seemed to resemble a balance scale.
“Why is there a <Seikoku> like this on Linda’s body…?”
Ash was so mesmerised by Linda’s belly that he had forgotten to help her put her pyjamas back on. At that moment—
“The shape doesn’t look very pleasing, does it?”
“Uwahh!”
Ash was so surprised that his heart almost leapt out of his mouth.
Navi suddenly materialised – she appeared to have seen everything from the Dragon Workshop.
“Y-You saw it too…?”
“Of course, how could I miss something so interesting? The Commander of Avalon’s Holy Dragons’ Emperor Knights was staring at his little sister’s body and lusting after her—”
Navi sat on the bedside with a seductive smile.
“I-I wasn’t! I was just curious about Linda’s <Seikoku>!”
Ash genuinely had no ulterior motives. It was only due to Navi’s sudden appearance that he began to feel strangely flustered.
“By the way…Navi, what do you think after seeing Linda’s <Seikoku>?”
“I’m afraid the dragon clan doesn’t like to tell others about unborn embryos. You’ll just have to wait patiently for that time to come.”
“It sounds like there’s more to it than that.”
“Don’t worry. I can assure you that it won’t be an enemy like Mordred.”
“Really? Then—”
“But it won’t be an ally either though.”
“Eh?”
What surprised Ash weren’t Navi’s words, but her actions — Navi took that opportunity to steal a kiss from Ash’s lips. As a result, Ash lost his opportunity to ask Navi about what she was implying. Navi’s tongue pried open his mouth and slid into his mouth. Their tongues intertwined and the sweet sensation made Ash so entranced that he almost forgot everything.
“Ha, ha…”
Before they knew it, both of their breaths had become haggard.
“Fufu…I wonder if it’s the air in this southern country? Ever since we came to Labrock, I’ve been so eager for you that I can’t hold back anymore.”
“W-We can’t, Navi…”
“Allow me to guide you…”
Navi’s right hand casually caressed Ash’s chest, while she grabbed Ash’s wrist with her left hand and led him to her breasts. The soft sensation was simply indescribable. After a while, Navi stopped and licked her lips.
“Fufu…have you lost interest in your little sister now?”
“I told you, it’s not what you think!”
Ash wailed.
“Phew…”
After Navi returned to the Dragon Workshop, Ash quietly slipped out of bed. Not only did he help Linda put her pyjamas back on, he also covered her with a blanket and finally felt like he could relax.
“Mmm…delicious……chuu.”
“Onii-chan…it’s so big…I can’t handle it…”
After Ash slipped out of bed, Eco and Linda hugged each other instead and constantly squirmed underneath the blanket. Just listening to their sleep talk, it was hard to tell what kind of dreams they were having. After watching the two of them with a warm feeling, Ash changed into his academy uniform – he also didn’t forget to put a bandage around the <Seikoku> on his left arm before leaving the bedroom.
Ash arrived on the deck and was greeted by the invigorating sea and ancient port city. Silvia was in the centre of the deck feeding Lancelot. The Maestro which normally looked quite divine seemed just like a child when it ate. Lancelot chowed down on pieces of frosty meat with delight.
“Good morning, Princess-sama.”
“Good morning, Ash. You’re up rather early today.”
“Well…I actually woke up because of a nightmare.”
Ash’s cheeks felt hot as he couldn’t help but flash a wry smile.
“The underground auction – it’s tonight.”
Silvia said with a serious expression. It was already the third day since they had accepted Machiavelli’s request. As Silvia said, today was the day of the underground auction.
“When you think about, it’s really quite a strange turn of events.”
According to their original plans, they should’ve all returned to Ansarivan by now. However, due to Machiavelli’s strange condition, Ash and the others were forced into this situation. If any mistakes were made, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t affect the delicate politics of East and West Labrock….
“Oh well, what’s done is done and there’s no point worrying about it.”
Ash resolutely said as he lifted his face.
“Yes, that’s the spirit.”
As if having made up her mind, Silvia’s expression seemed totally refreshed. Ash had already formulated an action plan for tonight in his mind. They underground auction would begin at seven o’clock at night, and the four people entering the venue would be Ash, Eco, Silvia and Cosette. After all, Machiavelli had used secret channels to obtain only four tickets. The venue stipulated that all guests had to wear masks, so the possibility of Ash and the others being recognised was low. Ash was inexplicably reminded of the masquerade ball that he attended at Fontaine Castle. Mirabel, Eunice, Anya and Linda would remain onboard the ship. Jessica, Rhiannon, Raymond, Brigid and Lancelot would be responsible for guarding the ship. And lastly, the one person that couldn’t be forgotten was — Navi. Since Navi was able to observe their world from the Dragon Workshop, she had become an indispensable source of information. Since they could share information amongst each other through Navi, they could always keep track of each other. According to the information provided by Navi, Rebecca, Max and Lucca were making good progress in exploring the underground labyrinth of the ruin city of Casanova.
“Ash? What’s wrong?”
Silvia looked at Ash with worry.
“S-Sorry! I was lost in thought…”
Silence. There was an inexplicably awkward atmosphere between them. Ash tried to look at Silvia’s face as if nothing had happened and noticed that she was blushing.
—Thump thump thump….
They had clearly been conversing normally until just moments ago, but an odd silence ensued after that. Ash couldn’t help but feel aware of the fact that Silvia was a member of the opposite sex. Silvia probably felt the same way. Just by reaching out, Ash could wrap his arms around Silvia’s shoulders. Silvia would certainly not refuse either…. Gulp. Just as Ash was so nervous that he couldn’t help but swallow—
“—Breakfast is ready.”
Cosette silently appeared out of nowhere like a trap made to disrupt the mood, startling both Ash and Silvia.
Evening. The group of four including Ash took a carriage prepared by Machiavelli to make their bumpy voyage to the venue. The rows of shops had already closed, and the main road was now lined with theatres and bars under the pink evening sky that was filled with the scent of alcohol. The underground auction was said to be held at the [Borgia Theatre] that faced the central avenue of the city. According to Machiavelli, although Borgia Theatre was small in size, it had a rather long and fabled history. Ash had assumed it would be a shady place, so he was quite surprised. It appeared that the rumours of powerful nobles supporting the underground auction were indeed true.
“—We have arrived at Borgia Theatre.”
The elderly carriage driver respectfully said as they came to a halt. The theatre was packed with men and women of all ages, filling the atmosphere with warmth and pleasure. Although there was a mix of all genders and age groups, it was clear from their elegant dress that they were all nobles. All of the guests wore masks or face coverings to hide their appearance. Ash and the others didn’t forget to put on their own masks before disembarking from the carriage. From an outsiders perspective, they probably just looked like three young nobles who had come to secretly participate in the auction, along with an accompanying servant. Ash wasn’t particularly conspicuous in his tuxedo, but both Eco and Silvia were also dressed up. It was Cosette’s idea to have everyone look like nobles. Eco wore a pink mini-dress and a headdress to cover her rounded horns. She looked absolutely glowing, and certainly lived up to her name as a member of Avalon’s Holy Dragon Emperor family. As for Silvia, she was glamorously dressed up herself in a light blue dress. She exuded an extraordinary natural temperament just by standing there.
“She’s so beautiful!”
“Which family is she the daughter of?”
As soon as Eco and Silvia stepped off the carriage, they immediately caught the attention of those around them. It was possible to vaguely hear the voices of everyone complimenting their beauty. Even if their faces were concealed, it was difficult to stop their radiance from shining through. On another note, Cosette was still wearing her maid uniform as usual today. Ash suddenly asked with curiosity,
“Cosette-san, maybe you should’ve dressed up too?”
Hearing this, Cosette made a light smile beneath her mask.
“Ufufu. This maid uniform is also a combat uniform, so I can’t just take it off so easily.”
“I-I see…”
“Having said that, if Ash-sama insists on wanting to ‘undress me’, it’s something that can be considered…”
Cosette seemed to blush ever so slightly.
“Wait! I’m not trying to get you to undress! Stop misrepresenting my words!”
Cosette couldn’t help but chuckle upon seeing Ash’s embarrassed look. It seemed as if she was just teasing Ash like she always did. However, Eco and Silvia both immediately raised their eyebrows.
“You’re going after Cosette as well…?”
“Hey, Ash. Let’s have a chat in that alley over there.”
Because they were wearing masks, they seemed even more terrifying than usual.
“H-Hold on! We don’t have much time! It’s more important for us to get inside first!”
After checking his pocket watch, Ash ran straight towards the entrance of the theatre as if trying to escape from their intense gazes.
The four of them encountered no issues whatsoever at the entrance and were ushered straight in. It was all thanks to the tickets arranged by Machiavelli. After Ash and the others walked into the performance hall, they found empty seats and sat down. The hall was dimly lit, with the only light source being candles mounted on the walls, giving the venue a somewhat dark atmosphere. The seats in the hall were around forty percent full. All of the guests were wearing hoods or masks as well, making it seem even more eerie. It almost felt like the black mass of a dubious cult rather than the glamourous atmosphere of a masquerade ball.
“—Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to participate today.”
After a while, a man who appeared to be the host appeared on the stage, and the venue fell silent. To Ash’s surprise, the host didn’t speak in the Labrock language, but instead spoke the standard Chevron language. Since that was also the official language of the Knight Country, they didn’t have to worry about any communication problems. The host wore a goat-head hood that covered his entire head, and its two horns looked like those that belonged to a demon. He wore a strange black and white checkered suit along with a red bow tie. It was a rather egotistical look.
“My name is [Diablo]. May all of our honoured guests receive the devil’s guidance — kukuku.”
The instant that the host who called himself Diablo let out a sinister laugh—
“Uu!”
“W-What is that guy doing…!?”
Eco and Silvia clung onto Ash from both sides, having long forgotten about their previous tantrum. Observing it calmly, it was clear to see that it was just an impromptu performance, but both Eco and Silvia were stunned by the scene.
—I’ve been sandwiched since early morning today…
Ash made a wry smile as he thought to himself.
“I would like to introduce all of you to our first exhibit.”
As Diablo made his announcement, an odd mechanical noise echoed from the ground. A hole opened up on the stage floor, and Ash was surprised by the enormous object that slowly rose onto the stage. The first thing that caught his eye was the magnificent pedestal that was probably made of marble. The ‘items’ placed on the pedestal were still covered by a veil. With theatrical and exaggerated motions, Diablo lifted the veil.
—Ooh…!
The guests immediately let out gasps and other exclamations.
“This is the infamous mithril statue that the legendary artist Leonardo Michaelis gifted to his thirteenth mistress in year 657 of the A.S.B. calendar – [One-Winged Apostle].”
As the name of the work implied, it was a statue of an angel which had one of its wings torn off. The soft, misty lustre that the statue exuded was probably a characteristic of mithril. Even as a complete layman, Ash was dumbfounded by the sophistication and intricacy of the exquisite craftmanship. Even after a thousand years, one could still feel the passion that the artist had put into their work.
“I never imagined that I’d bear witness to one of Michaelis’ ‘secret works’ in a place like this…”
“Are you familiar with this statue, Princess-sama?”
“Yes. Cassandra-neesama used to enjoy collecting Michaelis’ works, so I do recall…compared to the ‘normal’ series of works that the general public is familiar with, the value of the ‘secret’ series that were made especially for his mistresses is even higher. It’s just that Michaelis was a famous womaniser much like a certain ‘someone’, so I’m not very fond of him.”
In saying so, Silvia gave Ash a slightly annoyed sideways glare.
“Don’t look at me! I’m not a womaniser!”
“Is that so?”
Silvia sulkily turned her head away. Just as Ash felt confused about what to do, shouts had already begun to reverberate through the venue.
“A hundred thousand!”
“A hundred and ten thousand!”
“A hundred and fifty thousand!”
Contrary to all of the guests who were immersed in the moment, shouting and competing with each other, Diablo remained calm as he presided over the auction. Occasionally, he even let out a few devilish laughs. Silvia was stunned every time a new item was unveiled. She mumbled things like “Hmm, that’s a national treasure!” and “Just one of those gems is the cost of a castle?” as she watched with mixed feelings. As the princess of a nation, it seemed that Silvia had developed a rather discerning eye. Ash was impressed that the items which Silvia reacted the most strongly to were often those which sold for a higher price.
“Now, allow me to introduce to you all our next item. Legend has it that this jewellery was crafted by a super-ancient dragon race – its name comes from the area where it was unearthed, and it is called [Faubell’s Ring].”
The item that Diablo introduced was a pure gold ring adorned with a Bright Dragon Crystal. Like a shooting star across the night sky, it emitted a brilliant shifting glow.
“Hey, Ash. Don’t you think…that ring looks really beautiful?”
Eco, who had seemed uninterested since the beginning of the auction, piped up for the first time. She even tugged on Ash’s arm.
“That must be the work of my ancestors.”
Perhaps it elicited a reaction from her because it had been crafted by a fellow dragon. As she gazed with fascination at [Faubell’s Ring], her eyes slowly drifted upwards and furtively glanced at Ash. Having lived with Eco for a year, he immediately knew what she was thinking. In a slightly troubling turn of events, material desire had been aroused in Eco. Ash made a wry smile and placed his hand on Eco’s head.
“I’m sorry, Eco. We only have one objective, and that’s the [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest].”
“Urgh, I know…”
In the end, Eco helplessly watched on as the ring was auctioned off for the sky-high price of a million Veras.
Then, after about an hour – Diablo loudly and excitedly announced,
“Now, allow me to introduce to you our last auction item for today.”
Ash nervously gulped. [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest] had not appeared until now. In other words, [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest] had been reserved for the end to be the final item for the auction. And so – the last auction item finally emerged from the cutout in the centre of the stage. However, a white veil covered it, obscuring it from all prying eyes.
“Kukuku…this item is a magic doll known as [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest].”
Diablo lifted the veil as he announced the name of the item. After the white veil was lifted, a woman sitting on an antique chair was revealed. The woman’s black hair appeared glossy and shiny, as if wet. Encasing her porcelain-like skin was a translucent dress that might have well been called lingerie because everything beneath it was vaguely visible. Her luscious breasts seemed like they were about to spill out of the fabric at any moment. Her waistline was a perfectly contoured hourglass. Her long, slender legs were reminiscent of a goddess of the hunt. Ash was breathless as he gazed upon the perfect body in the form of art. It was just a shame that an iron mask covered her face, making it impossible to assess the full scale of her beauty. What surprised Ash the most however, was the lukewarm reaction of the other guests.
“I’ve never even heard of this thing. Whose work is it?”
“It’s called [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest], but her face has been covered. Isn’t that disingenuous?”
Ladies and gentlemen all over voiced their doubts in succession. As if in response to all of the commotion, Diablo calmly said,
“All of your doubts are justified and understandable. After all, this work of art was made in year 1366 of the A.S.B. calendar. In other words, this year.”
The commotion only grew louder. Each of the items previously auctioned off had been historic artefacts and masterpieces. And that was precisely why the guests present had taken the risk of breaking the law to put down their bids. However, [Sleeping Beauty of the Forest] was only made this year, so it couldn’t be considered an antique by any means.
“Kuku…of course, this is not just an ordinary doll. She is a rare treasure – the magic potion <Galatea> was used on a living woman, and a princess from a noble family at that, to turn her into a doll. In other words, this is a doll of true flesh and blood – an existence that straddles the border between human and doll.”
“<Galatea>!?”
Ash’s voice was masked by the murmurs around him.
“Could it be that Kiira is involved again…?”
Silvia frowned as she stared at the living doll upon the stage.
“In addition, only the winning bidder will have the opportunity to see this beauty’s face. I ask that you only make a bid if you are satisfied with everything.”
Diablo spoke in a tone that seemed respectful despite the pompous wording, and then gave a graceful bow.
“How ridiculous. I can’t believe such a farce was waiting for us at the very end.”
“It seems the underground auction of the Demonic Capital has gone downhill.”
The gentlemen sitting in the row in front of Ash voiced their disdain as they departed. Various guests could be seen leaving the venue one after the other. Only around sixty percent of the original attendees remained. For Ash and his friends, it was better for them if there were fewer competitors, so they were quite pleased to see people leave, but that didn’t last for long—. Diablo calmly declared,
“In that case, we will commence bidding with a starting price of three million Veras.”
Ash couldn’t believe his ears.
“A starting price of three million Veras…seriously!?”
The sense of relaxation that swept over when other competitors left was instantly blown away. Moreover, the atmosphere of the venue instantly changed when this unusually high price was revealed.
“The magic potion <Galatea>…if I remember correctly, it’s a secret potion made by the Ecbald Tribe, right?”
“It seems like this is an exceedingly rare item.”
Nobles being nobles, their manner of thought was different to those of ordinary people. Everyone’s interest had been piqued. At that moment, Silvia gave Ash a hard, resounding slap on the shoulder.
“Princess-sama?”
Startled, Ash turned to look at Silvia’s face.
“Don’t look so worried. We still have the <Drag Queen’s Heritage>.”
Silvia spoke decisively as if to reassure Ash. Ash was grateful for Silvia’s thoughtfulness, and the unease that he felt also vanished.
“—Alright, we’re definitely going to win this auction…!”
By the time that Ash had put himself in an optimistic mood, a bidding contest ascending in increments of a hundred thousand had already begun in the venue.
“Three million and one hundred!”
“Three million and two hundred!”
“Three million and three hundred!”
“La Belle au bois dormant I” ~A.S.B.1366.05~ is closed.
(All 6 of 6 parts) (12/9/24)