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

===Part 2===

—A quest.

It was another way, beside matches with fellow academy students, that helped rising in the academy’s ranking system.

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A given quest could have various objectives, from Kagura by a blade dance, suppression of a rampaging spirit, excavation and investigation of the sealed spirit, to the subjugation of elementalists gone astray.

By completing the quests that were divided depending on their danger level, the academy students could raise their rank the same way like when winning official matches.

"By the way, this quest's difficulty level is S rank."

"S rank?"

Kamito blurted out.

In the academy, the S rank was given to the assignments with the highest difficulty level.

The amount of points a student could get for completing one was extraordinary, but it was also very dangerous and, depending on the situation, could even lead to death. It should not even be possible for him to receive it with his current ranking.

"Did you prepare things behind the scenes?"<!---->

"Your hearing is bad. I said that I don't practice special treatment. It just means that the only ones suitable for this quest are Fianna and you. If you refuse, then I'll spread the word around to other teams."

"..."

It was not a bad deal. On the contrary, in his current situation, it was a godsend.

Already, there were only two months left before the start of the Blade Dance. No, the final examination that will determine the three participating teams would take place even earlier.

If nothing changed, and they continued participating in regular official matches and quests they could not possibly make it to the top.

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For some reason Greyworth was bent on making Kamito participate in the Blade Dance.

But, it seemed that the influence of the academy’s director was not enough.

Therefore, she got them a S rank mission, which was extremely dangerous, but had a completion bonus, which was also extremely high.

(If we could complete the quest, that would be it— Huh?)

He didn’t like the fact, it was Greyworth he received it from, but…

If the quest included guarding an important person, he already had the necessary experience from the past.

Certainly, it was far better than rising in inter-school ranking through official matches.

"—I understand. Explain the details of the quest."

"That's the spirit.<!--そうこなくてはな-->"

Kamito prompted and Greyworth smiled.

"Have you heard about the Gado mine town?"

"Gado? I think I had. Wasn’t it abandoned a few decades ago."

Gado was formerly a town with large spirit crystal mining grounds, but, during the second Ranbal war, spirit crystal deposits were exhausted, and it was abandoned.

It should have turned into a ghost town by now and become ruins.

"There have been frequent occurrences of strange earthquakes at that mine recently. I want you to go there and investigate."

"Is that so?"

For the academy to request an investigation meant that it was probably not an ordinary incident. 

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It was often the case that the earth attribute spirits that ruled over the land caused the earthquakes.

If that was because a spirit was angry or was in a frenzy, it could be appeased by a ritual of a blade dance. There were also cases where, depending on the situation, a suppressing unit of spirit knights was formed.

As a quest it was relatively typical, but—

"Stop joking around. Why does a mission like that has a S rank?"
	
He didn’t think that ordinary investigation involving a simple earth spirit could be so dangerous.

Compared to the quest's risk, the assigned rank seemed too high.

"You're being distrustful as usual, can't you believe in my good will?"

"Why should I? You never lie. However, you also never speak the truth."

"Hmm...well, it is indeed so."

Greyworth smiled and shrugged in resignation.

"It seems that a strategic-class militarized spirit, sealed by the old Ordesia Knights, is sleeping at that mine."

Kamito groaned, Fianna gasped in surprise.

A strategic-class militarized spirit— it could not be compared to the giant spirit that went into frenzy at the Academy Town the other day.

Because of its tremendous strength, it was impossible for an individual to comand it. In the end, this spirit could only be controlled by ritual Kagura performed by several hundred elementalists— it was solely a weapon of mass destruction.

At the end of the second Ranbal war, the continental nations signed a treaty, and all the seven bodies should have sealed and disposed of such spirits, but—

"Don't tell me, it’s the spirit that causes the earthquakes?"

"At the very worst; it's still only a possibility. I want to entrust you guys with this investigation. You must confirm whether that the seal has come undone or not—"

"I'll perform the resealing by the «Ritual Kagura»."

Fianna calmly spoke.

"That's right. As a former Queen candidate, this quest suits you perfectly."

"...I see, that's the reason you called for this princess."

The Queens, who served the Five Great Elemental Lords, were the experts in the «Ritual Kagura» that appeased spirits.

They did not receive any special martial arts training, and as the result they were not suited for battle, but all forms of ritual have been driven into them since they were children.

In the entire academy, there was only one former Queen— a rare special skill user; the quest could only be accomplished with her help, and considering that it had to do with a strategic-class militarized spirit, it might also be appropriate to give it a S rank.

"..."

The terms were not bad. However, there was one more thing that he had to ask.

"...But is Fianna alright with this? With me guarding her, I mean."

If it was just about protecting her, there should be even more competent elementalists.

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For example, Ellis Fahrengart. Her sense of responsibility was strong and she was very capable, so there should be no complains with her being the guard.

There was no reason to have Kamito, who was a boy of all things, accompany the princess. If Greyworth grouped them together as she pleased, ignoring Fianna's will— he planned to reject this deal.

However, Fianna—

"Of course, I'll be relying on you, Kamito-kun."

"Did Greyworth threaten you to team up with me?"

"No, after all, I was the one who nominated you."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. To travel with the world's only male elementalist, isn't it great?"

Fianna entwined her fingers with Kamito's and gazed at him with admiraion.

Kamito felt shocked from the way she looked at him with those clear black eyes.

"Hmm, aren't you popular?"

Greyworth asked, seemingly displeased, and handed over a document with the quest's key points written on it.

"If you intend to take up this mission, sign here. This is a good deal."

Far from that, for Kamito with the current circumstances, it was an extraordinary good deal.

However—

"I can't decide this by myself. I have to at least ask Claire."

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"Hmm, well, that's alright. But hurry, I'll have you leave tomorrow."

"Claire?"

The one who asked it was Fianna.

"Ah, my teammate, but—"

"Could she be Claire Elstein?"

"...You know her?"

Kamito awkwardly scratched his head.

(That's right, this girl is the Queen candidate to the Fire Elemental Lord.)

She was the princess maiden who was training at the same «Divine Ritual Institute» as the Calamity Queen— Rubia Elstein.

If that was the case, it would not be surprising for her to know even Claire, that girl's sister.

"That person's sister..."

Fianna's lips slightly trembled.

She might have started having doubts after hearing that the Calamity Queen's sister will be taking part in the mission.

"I'm sorry, but Claire is my teammate. I'll accomplish the quest together with her."

Kamito informed her—

"Yes, that's what I wish for as well."

Fianna nodded muttering in a soft voice.

"'''I don't plan on losing even to the sister'''."

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