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

===Part 4===

The heavy clouds started to rain.

Kamito's sharp senses detected a faint presence of tension in the air.

"Follow the plan and take the roundabout route, Kamito."

"Yeah..."

The shortest route to the Great Shrine of Areishia would be to go straight along the main road leading to Nefescal Palace. However, one would naturally expect plenty of knights stationed there. Getting stalled there for a moment and reinforcements would probably arrive quickly.

"&mdash;O wind, grant us thy protection."

Ellis chanted spirit magic, deploying a wind barrier around the three of them.

The wind barrier's effects included the erasure of footstep sounds and slightly improving movement speed.

"Let's go."

Under the sound of unrelenting rain, Kamito and company passed through a passage in the nobles district.

Leaving the area of noble residences, they moved to where government agencies were situated.

They still did not see any knights along the way... The streets were unexpectedly quiet.

"...How weird, there's not a soul in sight."

"Yes, after all, the anti-Arneus faction was thrown into jail not too long ago&mdash;"

While perking her ears to listen to surrounding signs, Ellis whispered.

At this moment, the voices of guards could be heard up ahead.

Kamito and company stopped and hid in the shadows of a mansion.

"What an embarrassment. We must find the princess at all costs!"

"She shouldn't have escaped too far yet!"

A group of guards were running along the passage with noisy footsteps.

"...!?"

Kamito and friends looked at one another.

"...Fianna escaped?"

"What's going on?"

"..."

Kamito began to think quickly.

Was this timing coincidental? Or somehow, she had detected the movements of Kamito's group and tried her best to accommodate&mdash;

"...Well, I guess Fianna doesn't have the personality of an imprisoned princess."

"Yeah." "...Hmm, I suppose."

It was ''that'' princess after all. Breaking out of jail on her own was not that surprising.

Back when she had lost the power of the spirit contract and was known as the Lost Queen, she did not spend her days cooped up indoors and wallowing in sadness.

She had made preparations aggressively with the intent to win the Blade Dance and recover her power, even resorting to cheating so as to enroll in the Academy to meet Kamito.

Fianna Ray Ordesia was a girl with a stalwart heart.

"...Either way, this situation is an opportunity."

"Yeah, it's a lot easier than trying to rescue her while she's jailed."

"I hope we find her sooner, before the guards arrive."

Ellis said.

"In that case, rather than working as a group, I think it would be better for us to split up in search of her."

"Yeah, from what I can see, the knights haven't taken action yet&mdash;"

Hearing Kamito's suggestion, Claire nodded.

"Then let's split up here and contact one another as soon as we discover Fianna."

Ellis chanted spirit magic quietly and summoned wind spirits.

They were tiny fairies with a flower-like dresses.

"This spirit can pass messages along the wind."

The wind spirits circled in the air before resting on Kamito and Claire's shoulders.

"Absolutely avoid fighting the knights. Run away immediately if you encounter them."

"Yes, I know. Kamito, you be careful too&mdash;"

The trio nodded at one another then started running in three separate directions.