Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 1===

"Sh-Sheesh, what on earth is going on...?"

Suddenly swallowed by the giant bird, Claire cried out in the darkness.

She lit a small fire in her palm to illuminate her surroundings.

She had expected to find herself inside the giant bird's stomach&mdash;

But in front of her was a luxurious room laid with velvet carpet.

"...W-What is this place?"

"This is the Roc's dimension."

Just then, Restia's voice was heard from above&mdash;

A spirit crystal lamp installed on a wall in the room instantly lit up.

"W-What happened?"

"If I remember right, I think a bird with a terrifying appearance swallowed us."

Rinslet and Ellis were also checking out their surroundings, unsure what to do.

"Darkness spirit, I demand a clear explanation!"

Claire pointed at the ceiling and said.

"Hmph, you girls are currently inside a spirit under Kamito's command."

"Kamito's spirit? That giant bird?"

"Yes, Kamito had just tamed it."

"Tamed..."

"Nothing less expected from Kamito-kun..."

Fianna sighed poignantly.

"...I have no idea what is going on, but is this safe?"

"Yes, so long as no accident occurs."

"What kind of accident..."

"For example, if this spirit is erased, you lot will end up erased together."

"Isn't that serious!? Set us down right this instant!"

"I don't mind doing that, but do know that we are currently flying over Ghul-a-val."

Hearing that, Claire became speechless.

"...What happened over there? What was that pillar of light?"

"What happened to the Pyramid?"

"None of that is urgent at the moment. For explanations, wait until we get back to Zohar. See you later&mdash;"

Saying that, Restia ended the conversation on her own.

"Wait, darkness spirit! Sheesh..."

Claire glared at the ceiling in displeasure.

"No helping it. Our only choice is to wait here quietly."

"Fortunately, this place is quite comfortable."

"Since there is a sofa and a kitchen. We can easily live here for a week or more."

"There are snacks on the shelves too."

"How uncommon. A spirit with a living space inside..."

"Your Georgios can be entered too, and with climate control to boot."

"My goodness, Georgios is only for personal use&mdash;"

"Excuse me..."

At this time, a voice came from a corner of the room. It was Saladia Kahn, who had been swallowed without a clue what was going on as soon as she had been rescued.

"Princess Saladia, does your injury still hurt?"

Fianna asked her with care.

"No, it doesn't, all thanks to you. I will be fine after taking some rest."

Maintaining a calm attitude, Saladia shook her head.

Remaining composed in such a situation, nothing less expected from her as a member of a royal family.

"This spirit is headed to Zohar, is that right?"

"Yes, apparently. Please rest assured, Your Highness, we will make sure you get there safely."

Hearing Claire say that, Saladia exhaled and looked relieved.

"The few of you are from Ordesia...?"

"More precisely, it would be Legitimate Ordesia."

"A government in exile, wanted by the Emperor."

Fianna smiled wryly and shrugged.

"Why are you searching for me?"

"There are complicated reasons&mdash;"

Saying that, Fianna told her about what had happened so far.

Their alliance with Dracunia. The mission assigned by the Dragon King.

Then there was Saladia's older sister Sjora Kahn dying together with Leviathan, the strategic-class militarized spirit.

"...I see. My elder sister sacrificed her life for Leviathan..."

"Yes. By the time Kamito stormed into there, it was already too late to save her..."

Claire added.

"My elder sister's foolish acts has caused great loss of life to the populace. Thank you all for stopping her. Surely, more victims would have lost their lives had you not intervened."

With a pained expression, Saladia clasped her hands together as though to pray.

"By the way, Your Highness, why did you go to the Demon King's Capital?"

Rinslet asked.

"Uh, well..."

Saladia was momentarily stumped by the question.

"Because of the legend of the Demon King's Coffin, right?"

"So you already know somewhat&mdash;"

Hearing Claire's comment, the princess gave up and nodded.

"Precisely. I followed the legend of the Demon King's Coffin and reached that place. With the majority of my retainers eliminated by my sister, I was alone without any support. Hence, it was necessary for me to obtain proof of my authority as the Theocracy's ruler."

"Suffering from civil war, the Theocracy's people are wishing for your return. I don't think there's any current necessity to rely on that kind of legend to display your authority&mdash;"

"Yes, you have a point. Now that I think back, why did such a thought occur to me, I wonder..."

The princess tilted her head in puzzlement and began to murmur to herself.

"...?"

Seeing her like that, Fianna felt a strange sense of dissonance.

"By the way, Your Highness, I presume you had a bodyguard?"

At this moment, Ellis thought of something and asked.

"Speaking of which, that is right."

Rinslet chimed in.

"But there was no one by your side where you collapsed."

Hearing that, Saladia's face twitched.

"Th-That man is no bodyguard! A mere rogue civilian!"

"I-I see..."

"He abandoned me and went off who knows where! I was a fool for starting to trust him!"

Facing the princess who had suddenly gotten worked up, Claire and the girls exchanged looks, unable to say anything.