Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume2 Chapter3 Draft (section)

===Part 1===

Kamito, left Claire and the others at the café and immediately headed towards the academy director's office.

He knocked and opened the door—

"You're late. For how long do you plan to make a lady wait?"

Was the first thing he heard from Greyworth, her voice extremely cold. The woman, Greyworth Ciel Mais, better known as The Dusk Witch, was sitting at her office desk.

She was bewitchingly beautiful, but that was not what she was famous for. Originally a spirit knight with a long military service, she later entered the ranks of {{Furigana|the twelve knight commanders|Numbers}}.

Greyworth had wavy ash-blonde hair and a pair of shining, gray eyes hidden behind glasses.

"Sorry, I heard that you had business with me and came as fast as I could. As a proof, I have a labored breath."

"Hmm, so it seems you became rather cheeky, haven’t you? Where did the obedient pure boy I once knew disappear? It seems the flow of time doesn’t spare anyone. It is so cruel, really."

"But it appears you haven’t changed a bit, Greyworth. Your appearance as well as your tricky character."

Kamito loathsomely replied. Disdain clear on his face.

Greyworth was one of the few people who knew him three years ago.

And she was the one who called Kamito, after he rejected his past as the {{Furigana|Strongest Blade Dancer|Ren Ashbell|margin=13}}, to the academy and attempted to make him participate in the competition that will be held in two months.

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She did not tell him the reason for that.

Although, it wasn’t the first time the Dusk Witch made Kamito do something without sharing any information.

"That's right, you have certainly changed. In those three years, you've become especially weak. In the practice match a while ago, when faced with an opponent of that level you performed… pitifully. If it were you from the past, you would have overwhelmed that person in less than three minutes."

"You were watching? ... Your hobbies are bad, as usual."

"You are in such a sorry state that I doubt you are qualified to participate in the Blade Dance. The fact you defeated that militarized spirit must be a fluke."

"That time was—"

Kamito mumbled slightly.

He didn’t defeat it alone.

After meeting his former contracted spirit and being struck with despair, he was given the strength to stand once again by that red haired hellcat girl.

(...!)

Suddenly, the memories of her soft lips touching his own resurfaced in his mind.

Mortified he immediately shook his head to get rid of those evil thoughts.

"I agree with you. I can't even fully use my contracted spirit's power yet."

Kamito dropped his eyes onto his right hand, which had a seal engraved on it.

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"Still can't forget your previous woman? How stubborn."

"Watch your words! For me, Restia isn't like that!"

"On the contrary, you getting hotheaded makes it increasingly suspicious what your relationship actually is like. What do you think about getting a lover at the academy? It might even divert a little of your loneliness."

"Lov—"

"Or, are the girls here too undeveloped? If that's the case... I too am available."

Greyworth smiled bewitchingly and using her fingertips slightly opened her cleavage. 

He accidentally saw lacy black bra peeking from under her clothes.

"D...don't mess with me!"

"It's a joke. Hmm, from your tone, it seems you have not yet reached that level in relationships. I've heard rumors that you made a small breasted beautiful girl and a naked knee-socks clad spirit fall for you<!--噂では貧乳美少女と裸ニーソの精霊をはべらせて--> and are indulging in an improper harem cohabitation life."

"Guu..."
	
He tried to rebufe, but was at a loss of words.

...Looking at it objectively, that seemed like the truth and it was painful to be unable to deny it.

"Greyworth, did you call me just to tell some worthless jokes?"

"That's right— but, of course, that's not the only thing."

Greyworth creaked her chair and faced the visitor room at the inner side of the office.

"There is a girl I want to introduce you— come in"

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"Okay."

From the inner room, came what sounded like a bell being turned over.<!---->

From the opened door appeared a girl who wore a black dress like uniform, different from the academy's.

She was beautiful, had luscious long black hair, clear black eyes and was so pretty Kamito found himself amazed.

It goes without saying that Kamito was charmed by her neat and clean appearance.

"...Eh?"

The moment his eyes met hers, she made a puzzled face.

"Errm, you're ... Kazehaya Kamito-kun?"

The girl asked unsure.

"Ahh, that's right, but—"

"But from what I remember..."

For some strange reason the girl seemed to be in shock.

(Wh...what's with this?)

"Well, that's right... he's a boy after all and it's already been three years."

The girl muttered to herself in a voice that Kamito could not hear.

After that, she looked at Kamito's face again.

"Yes, there certainly is a resemblance. Besides, this is fine—"

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"What's up, Fianna?"

Greyworth called out, seemingly puzzled.

"Ah, s...sorry! Err, this is the first time I've seen a male elementalist!"

The girl called Fianna shook her head in fluster.

"Erm... who is this girl?"

Kamito looked at Greyworth questioningly.

Unexpectedly, the girl, made a sullen expression and pouted.

"I knew it, you don’t remember... well, that's fine though."

"She is the recently admitted student who will be entering the Raven Class."

"Admitted student?"

Ah! Kamito nodded. They were talking about it at the café just a while ago.

(This girl is the one...)

Carol told them that she was a daughter of noble, but, in any case, in this academy there were a lot of ladies with high social status, so there was nothing special in this situation.

(After that, she said that... she had big…)

Without thinking, he glanced towards the dress-like uniform's breast area—

(...Big indeed.)

Kamito confirmed awkwardly.

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"She is the Ordesia Empire's second princess, her Highness Fianna Ray Ordesia."

"...Ordesia?"

Kamito frowned for a moment—

"No way...!"

His eyes widened in surprise.

Many noble ladies were enrolled in Areishia Spirit Academy. This was the result of the empire's royalty and nobles continuing the bloodline of elementalists through marriage of convenience that even spanned over several generations. 

Naturally, there were also exceptions, but it was normal for elementalists to be daughters of aristocrats.

Fahrengart was a famous military family; Laurenfrost had long and noble history, Elstein’s ancestry too was extremely honorable, but their lands were currently seized.

However, this girl before him was— the second princess of the Ordesia Empire.

She was not just any noble; she was of royal blood, a real princess.

(Why would the empire's princess be in the academy?)

Daughters born into the Ordesia imperial family usually started training as Queen candidates, serving the Five Great Elemental Lords, at the Queen training organization, the «Divine Ritual Institute».

In any case, for the moment Kamito decided not to voice his questions and just knelt.

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"Please pardon my rudeness, your Highness."

It was not that he specifically pledged allegiance to the Ordesia Empire, but his former contracted spirit has harshly driven into him how to behave himself around royalty.

However, Fianna quietly shook her head.

"That's alright, we both are students here. Besides, although I'm called the second princess, I'm the Lost Queen, so that hardly means anything."

"The Lost Queen?"

Kamito asked back— then he remembered.

(I see, the empire's second princess!)

He heard about it from rumors.

(If I remember it right, the girl was the Queen candidate supposed to serve the Fire Elemental Lord.)

Four years ago, the Fire Queen— Rubia Elstein committed her crime and brought the wrath of the Fire Elemental Lord, who learned of her treachery, on the empire. That brought about great chaos.

For the sake of appeasing the Fire Elemental Lord's anger, the «Divine Ritual Institute» tried to prepare a successor but—

At that time, she declared that she stepped down from the position of the Queen candidate and was cast out from the imperial family.

So far, her reasons for that were not officially announced.

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That is how the second princess completely disappeared from the center of attention.

And now she was standing in front of him?

"It's just as she says. When you pass through this academy's gates, no matter what social status you have, you will receive no special treatment. Whether you are a princess, a male elementalist, or the Calamity Queen's sister."

"There you have it, I'm the former princess, but nice to meet you, Kazehaya Kamito-kun."

Fianna smiled, picked up the sides of her skirt with her fingertips and bowed elegantly.

"A...Ah, nice to meet you—"

Kamito stood up before his expression froze.

"What's the matter?"

"No, err..."

Scratching his cheek, Kamito looked away.

"?"

Fianna tilted her head to the side.

"Kyaa!"

It seemed she realized that what she was holding up was not a ball dress, but a short uniform skirt.

And the sight of her mature black lingerie, weaved with laces, was firmly etched into Kamito's mind.

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"Ka...Kamito-kun... pervert."

The former princess' face turned red as she embarrassedly muttered.

"I...I'm sorry..."

"You two, don't flirt and act lovey-dovey in front of my eyes. It's irritating."

Greyworth glared at Kamito, with bloodlust filled eyes.

"...I'm sorry. And why did you call for me?"

If this witch was involved it could not be something as simple as introducing the new student.

(To acquaint me with the empire's princess, what is she scheming?)

As if reading Kamito's mind, the witch pushed up her glasses, seemingly sullen.

"Your distrust is regrettable; after all I prepared a special quest for your sake."

"A special quest?"

"That's right. There is a task I want to give her and I decided that your team will accompany her as guards."