Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter9 (section)

===Part 1===

Seeing the merchant captured, the rogue elementalists instantly scattered and fled. Hired by money, those people most likely had no loyalty to speak of.

Besides, ''she'' was the natural enemy of rogue elementalists.

"...So what the heck are you doing here?"

Kamito narrowed his eyes and glared at the girl.

Black hair cropped short, slender and beautiful eyes. Dressed in a combat outfit of black leather. Boyish airs.

This was precisely Ninth of the Numbers&mdash;Virrey Branford.

Belonging to the Ordesia military's Umbra, she was a special operative knight specializing in espionage.

The last time Kamito met her was before setting off for Laurenfrost. He remembered she had said at the time that she was heading to the imperial capital, acting as Greyworth's bodyguard for the All Nations Conference.

"This is Umbra's backyard, you know? Taking of sewer rats is our job."

Virrey tied the man up with a rope and tossed him to the ground.

"...You knew that we had contacted this man?"

Claire asked warily.

It could not be coincidence that a special operative knight of Umbra had arrived.

However, supposing she had come to arrest Kamito's group, it would be far too unbelievable for her to show up alone.

"After all, I had received reports that you had broken out of prison at the Academy Town facility. From that I was certain you'd come to rescue the Second Princess. There are few routes that people from outer city could take to enter the nobles district. Hence, it wasn't hard to predict that you'd approach a Murders merchant&mdash;"

"You knew early on that we were going to infiltrate the imperial capital?"

"Pretty much&mdash;"

Virrey nodded.

Kamito placed his hand on the Demon Slayer.

"&mdash;So, what do you want? Do you intend to arrest us who are trying to rescue Fianna?"

He stared sharply at Virrey.

Virrey Branford was definitely no pushover. Although her contracted spirit might prioritize espionage abilities due to her position under Umbra, she was still a member of Numbers, the Empire's most elite knights.

"Good grief, don't jump to conclusions like that. I'm not here to arrest you."

Virrey hastily waved her hands.

"...What?"

"What I mean is that I'm not here on Umbra's orders. Instead, I'm acting on private motives. In other words, I am the only one who knows that you've infiltrated the imperial capital&mdash;"

"...Private motives?"

Kamito frowned in surprise and let go of his sword's hilt.

Of course, this did not mean that Kamito believed her completely. However, it would definitely be mind boggling for her to show up alone if she really intended to arrest Kamito's group.

"Kamito, here's a deal. Allow me to use you for once."

"...What do you mean?"

"My goal is to rescue Dame Greyworth who has been imprisoned by Arneus."

"Huh?"

"...Rescue the headmistress?"

Kamito, Claire and Ellis stared at one another.

Virrey had investigated Greyworth in secret at the military's orders before. However, it was hard to imagine any other connection between the two of them.

"I mentioned last time that I was taken off the mission of tracking down Lurie Lizaldia, right?"

"Yeah&mdash;"

"At the time, it was Dame Greyworth who took me in after I was reassigned from Umbra. That's why I am in her debt."

"A debt huh? But is this really enough to make you willing to take such a great risk given your position in the Numbers?"

Greyworth was currently a suspected co-conspirator in the emperor assassination incident, a major criminal. Rescuing her meant rebelling against the Empire.

"Of course, there are more reasons than that&mdash;"

Virrey confessed quite readily.

"Kamito, I have come to harbor suspicions against the Empire because of this incident."

She lowered her voice.

"...Suspicions."

Kamito had a clue what she was implying.

"You mean the fact that the Holy Kingdom's reach has extended into the Ordesia?"

"Why do you know about this!?"

Virrey widened her slender eyes.

"Well, I've got a source&mdash;"

Without exposing Rubia overtly, Kamito answered ambiguously.

"I am quite curious about your source... Oh well, that makes things easy since you already know more or less. Ordesia's upper echelon is currently under the Holy Kingdom's control..."

Virrey recounted symptoms of suspicious changes in the Empire recently.

It first began with the cessation of Lurie Lizaldia's pursuit, then there was the Sacred Spirit Knights trespassing Laurenfrost territory at the border, as well as the Empire's acquiescence regarding that.

Next was the attempted assassination of the emperor.

Even without being involved directly in the investigation, Virrey had many doubts regarding the incident.

First of all, there was the Bloodstone from which Fianna had released the demon spirit. Although the prime minister had provided it as a co-conspirator, how exactly did he get his hands on a spirit crystal on the level of a national treasure? Why was Greyworth's former contracted spirit sealed inside it&mdash;?

The prime minister's suicide was also highly suspicious. However, the Imperial Knights had hastily declared the investigation complete instead of addressing these issues.

"There should be many people who find the current incident suspicious, but with the Second Princess faction rendered prisoners, everyone fears Arneus, or rather, the Holy Kingdom that is backing him."

Virrey bit her lip hard.

"Currently, Ordesia is very abnormal. As a knight who has sworn loyalty to the Empire, I wish to rescue Dame Greyworth out of personal conviction, unrelated to the organization. As such, I need your assistance&mdash;"

"In other words, you'll take the opportunity to rescue Greyworth as long as we cause a commotion while saving Fianna, right?"

"&mdash;Thank you for understanding so quickly."

Virrey nodded in response to Claire.

"Besides, rescuing the Second Princess is also Dame Greyworth's orders to me before her arrest. Assuming everything goes as planned, I will aid in the escape."

"Rescuing Greyworth is what we want too. It'd be a great help if you succeeded too."

"&mdash;Then we have a deal, I guess?"

Nodding, the maiden special operative knight smiled.