Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 3===

&mdash;Thus, Kamito and his friends immediately started to pack up and get ready to leave.

"...Y-You could stay a few more days before going, you know?"

In Winter Gulf Castle's hall, Rinslet murmured, looking very disappointed.

After bidding Kamito and the others goodbye, Milla and Mireille had gone ahead with Claire, Ellis and Restia, apparently to get the horses ready.

Hence, Kamito and Rinslet were currently alone.

"Well, it's because we sneaked out of the Academy because of my willfulness. Also, we'll probably be a nuisance for the people in the castle if we keep staying here."

"...Of course not."

Rinslet gripped the hem of Kamito's clothing tightly.

Until Margrave Laurenfrost returned from attending the All Nations Conference at the imperial capital, Rinslet had to manage the castle as the head of the Laurenfrost family.

Normally, she could leave the job to Mireille and the Wolf Ritters garrisoned at the castle, but that was not an option given the current circumstances.

"I'm so grateful to you, Rinslet. Thanks to you, I was able to bring Restia back. If I had been alone, I would've definitely met my demise in the Kyria Mountain Range in a blizzard."

"Not at all. I did not really help that much~"

Rinslet shook her head.

"Kamito-san, you are the one I should thank. You helped me rescue Judia and Laurenfrost itself. As the head of the Laurenfrost family, I hereby offer you my gratitude."

Faced with her bowing her head at him sincerely, Kamito smiled wryly.

"Okay, see you back at the Academy. You can count on Claire and I to copy down lecture notes for you."

"Oh, p-please hold on&mdash;"

Just as Kamito was about to leave, Rinslet tugged his clothing.

"...Rinslet?"

"Oh, u-umm..."

Pulling his sleeve, she fidgeted for some unknown reason, her face turning bright red.

"...What's up?"

"U-Uh... Well, umm.."

Smooch♪

A surprise kiss.

"...Huh!?"

Rinslet's gorgeous lips had pressed themselves upon Kamito's lips&mdash;

Then reluctantly, she parted lightly from his lips.

"Y-Y-You... What are you doing...?"

Kamito was rendered incoherent by her sudden action.

"...~U-Umm... I, well, huaaah..."

Compared to Kamito, Rinslet was in even greater confusion. Her entire face was red, even her ears.

"Calm down, Rinslet, I should be more confused than you."

Kamito's comment finally calmed her down. She cleared her throat and looked at Kamito with her clear, emerald eyes.

(S-So cute...)

Kamito was mesmerized by those watery eyes. His heart raced.

Rinslet took a deep breath and her lips vibrated to speak.

"D-During our journey, Kamito-san, there was something that bothered me greatly."

"Something bothered you greatly?"

Rinslet nodded.

"Ah, yes, umm, when on the snowing mountain with you... during that k-k-kiss, I felt a mysterious power flowing within me."

"W-Wait, what are you talking about?"

Kamito yelled frantically.

"I-I am not lying. It was the same as when the ice dragons were assaulting the castle. I-It was thanks to your kiss, Kamito-san, that I was able to achieve victory!"

"What the heck is going on here!? W-Why would a k-kiss with me cause..."

Blushing, Kamito stuttered. That time in the mountain ravaged by a blizzard, the series of actions she had performed to heal his wounds surfaced clearly in his mind.

"...~Uh, I am not too sure myself why this phenomenon arose."

Rinslet cast her glance away in extreme shyness.

"But I-I definitely received power from my kiss with you, Kamito-san."

"N-No way..."

Before he could say "this can happen," Kamito suddenly realized something.

(Come to think of it...)

He recalled what Ellis had told him this morning.

...Before setting off for Laurenfrost, what had happened before leaving the Academy.

When Kamito had gone to visit the hospitalized Ellis, she had kissed him to apply Wind's Protection, a blessing for keeping travelers safe.

(Indeed, I heard that Ellis recovered her physical strength rapidly after that&mdash;)

"...Kamito-san?"

Looking very surprised, Rinslet frowned.

"Have you found some kind of clue in your memories?"

"...N-No, I don't think it's like that..."

While Kamito was frantically trying to gloss over things to get out of the embarrassing situation, Rinslet pretended to cough.

"P-Please do not get the wrong idea. I-I simply... wanted to receive that mysterious power, nothing more!"

Twisting her hair around her finger, she seemed very embarrassed.

"...O-Oh okay, I get it."

When Kamito nodded repeatedly...

"My goodness! Kamito-san, you don't understand anything at all&mdash;"

Smooch♪

Sneaking another surprise kiss, Rinslet blushed and ran away.