Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter8 (section)

===Part 1===

&mdash;The imperial capital of Ostdakia.

This was a city that the Sacred Maiden had turned into a stronghold during the Demon King War a thousand years ago in order to battle the Demon King's army.

After the Demon King War ended, the city's location, corresponding to the current Empire's center, made it a trading hub that connected all parts of the continent. Gradually growing in prosperity, it finally developed into a top metropolis on the continent.

And located in the center of the imperial capital was the great assembly hall where the imperial council convened, as well as Nefescal Palace that served as both the imperial family's residence and the Ordesia's most important shrine.

(...How ironic. To think that the Demon King's successor would return to the city that had served as the bastion of resistance against the Demon King.)

Riding a rocking horse-drawn carriage while tightly gripping the reins from the coachman's seat, Kamito muttered to himself mentally.

In fact, this was not his first time infiltrating the imperial capital. During his childhood, he had sneaked into the imperial capital with Muir, Lily and Restia as part of an Instructional School mission.

"Honestly, will this method really work?"

Claire's worried voice came from inside the carriage.

"...Who knows. To be honest, I'm not confident either."

Dressed as a lady-in-waiting, Kamito sighed from the coachman's seat.

He was the perfect model of a lady-in-waiting working at a royal palace, no matter how you looked.

"You are extremely adorable, Kamito."

Claire giggled humorously.

"...G-Give me a break."

Kamito grimaced and looked back at Claire.

Seated inside the carriage, Claire was dressed in a white dress. Her crimson hair had been dyed blonde.

The cover story was that Claire was a daughter from a noble family and Kamito was her lady-in-waiting. As for Ellis, she was hiding in a cramped pile of cargo.

The role of the noblewoman fell to Claire because her face was less well-known than Ellis who had frequented the imperial capital as a daughter of the Fahrengart family and thus universally recognized. Claire's last visit to the imperial capital was already more than four years ago.

"We'll be at the main gate soon. Don't poke your head out of the carriage and make sure you act like a noble."

The carriage carrying the trio was gradually approaching the imperial capital's massive city gate.

A massive bonfire was lit before the gate while merchants formed a long line up with their merchandise on carts.

"Ohohohoho, I am an aristocrat from upper-crust society&mdash;!"

Claire suddenly made a weird sound, causing Kamito to look back in shock at once.

"W-Who the heck are you trying to be!?"

"What do you mean, who...? I'm just imitating Rinslet. Isn't it very noble-like?"

"...L-Like my foot. She'll definitely get mad if she saw this."

"Hmph, I can't believe you're taking Rinslet's side..."

Claire pouted unhappily.

"Just act more like your usual self and that's very noble-like."

"I-Is that so?"

Hearing that, Claire seemed quite pleased, blushing.

Over the massive entrance, a pair of terrifying lion sculptures overlooked Kamito's party.

No wait, those were not sculptures&mdash;They were guardian spirits protecting the imperial capital's main gate.

Kamito took out from his bosom the imperial access pass that Vivian had forged.

"We'll be able to pass using this?"

"Yes, supposedly..."

From inside the carriage, Claire nodded slightly nervously and replied.

"I really want to launch an aerial raid directly using Simorgh."

"That'll only get us shot down by the imperial capital's anti-air defenses."

Kamito stopped talking and raised the imperial access pass in front of the gate.

Branded on the pass, magic runes glowed for an instant and quickly vanished. Even when the carriage approached, the guardian spirits on the gate did not react at all, simply sitting there.

(...Looks like entry is a success.)

Kamito mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, an armed guard blocked the carriage.

"Please allow me to check your belongings. Do you mind opening up the cargo hold?"

"I hate waiting. I will have you know that I am in a hurry."

Claire spoke from the carriage.

"Yes, I am terribly sorry. Orders from above mean we must check..."

The guard opened the carriage's cargo hold. There were two wooden boxes stacked inside.

Opening the top box, the guard found candlesticks and other ritual equipment as well as a rare spirit crystal.

"What is this?"

"I bought them during my travels in the Kingdom of Balstan. Look, isn't it pretty?"

Claire held up the spirit crystal to show the guard.

"Although it's not particularly valuable, why don't you take one as a gift, good sir?"

Claire handed the guard a small spirit crystal with a water spirit sealed inside. Ordinary people were unable to use spirit crystals but they could earn a handsome sum of money by selling them to specialized shops.

"...Eh, i-is it really okay?"

"Yes, but in return, I would like to return to my mansion as soon as possible because I am already exhausted. May I pass?"

She conveyed her intention to use bribery as a means to bypass examination, but&mdash;

"No, orders from above mandate that&mdash;"

The guard shook his head seriously, intending to stick to his principles.

"...Eh?"

Seeing that, Claire's expression froze.

(...H-Hey, what are we going to do now?)

Kamito gestured to Claire with a look.

They had not predicted this situation. They originally thought that checking the belongings of nobles would be a mere formality after they had passed through the checkpoint.

In fact, thoroughly checking a noble's belongings in the imperial capital was quite an exceptional case. At the very least, bribing the guards was virtually guaranteed to work in the past.

(...Is the imperial capital on an even higher level of alert than imagined?)

"Then please allow me to search."

Despite faltering, the guard still intended to open the wooden box on the bottom.

This was precisely where Ellis was hiding.

"W-Wait&mdash;"

"I am terribly sorry, these are the rules&mdash;"

The guard ignored Claire's protest and touched the lower wooden box.

(...Oh no!)

In that instant...

Something passed through the wooden box's lid and flew out ferociously.

"Kehhhhhhhhhhh!"

"U-Uwahhhhhhh!"

The guard cried out in surprise, instantly falling on his bottom.

"Kehhh, kehhhhhhhhhhh!"

Poking its head out from the wooden box was a demon bird, making terrifying noises.

"M-Milady, w-what on earth is..."

"...U-Uh, it's my pet bird I bought at a market during my travels. Isn't it cute?"

"C-Cute...?"

Looking up at the demon bird, the guard's face was twitching from terror.

"It's your fault for touching the wooden box recklessly. How do you intend to take responsibility?"

"I-I-I-I am terribly sorry, milady...!"

The guard kept bowing his head to apologize.

"P-Please forgive me. You may pass!"

"Hmph, whatever. Let us hurry&mdash;"

At Claire's urging, Kamito drove the carriage through the gate.

A while after entering the city&mdash;

"...Phew, we got through at least."

Kamito breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Simorgh's scary face came in handy."

"Kururu..."

Hearing that, the demon wind spirit cooed proudly from the wooden box.

"Anyway, infiltration is a success huh?"

"No, the main event starts now."