Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume15 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 8===

Back to the plaza, the princess maidens reverently handed back the girls' underwear. While Kamito was facing the wall, the girls swiftly put their underwear on again.

When everyone was ready, Leonora said:

"I have already prepared rooms for you in the castle. Please use them as you wish during your stay."

"I shall pass. I am returning to the ship."

Rubia shook her head.

"You're not staying at the castle?"

When Kamito asked, she replied quietly.

"Next, I am going to retrieve Muir Alenstarl and Lily using the Revenant. Those two are needed for operations in the Theocracy."

"Right... Speaking of which, what are they doing right now?"

He remembered that the last time he asked, she said she had assigned an important mission to them&mdash;

"Secretly scouting the Holy Kingdom, searching for the missing Fire Elemental Lord's whereabouts."

"They're in charge of such a dangerous mission?"

"I asked them precisely because the mission is dangerous. Those two are the best subordinates I have."

"That's true..."

Muir and Lily were respectively ranked second and sixth at the Instructional School. In the past, they frequently teamed up with Kamito for missions. Lily was the infiltration expert, enough said, but even Muir, who looked unsuitable for reconnaissance missions at a glance, had an especially keen nose for sensing danger.

Furthermore, in the event that their cover was blown and they came under enemy pursuit, they also had the power to break out by force using the militarized spirits in their possession.

In any case, it was definitely worth relying on Muir and Lily's return. Especially Muir, who could fight a fireteam of spirit knights singlehandedly.

"Be careful&mdash;"

"You would do well to prepare yourself too. Do not hold back against the Dusk Witch."

"..."

With that, Rubia turned around to leave&mdash;

"N-Nee-sama..."

Claire called out at that time.

"What is it?"

"I will become stronger. Definitely, I will bring out Scarlet's power."

After listening to Claire's words of determination&mdash;

Rubia still did not change her expression, however.

"Is that so? As you are now, you are not eligible to serve as my pawn."

"Nee-sama..."

Claire's shoulders shook as she bit her lip in chagrin.

"Hey, putting things that way&mdash;"

Kamito could not help but interrupt, but then&mdash;

"&mdash;Go train on Dragon's Peak. What you need is over there."

"...Huh?"

Claire reacted with surprise.

However, Rubia left without saying anything more.

"Dragon's Peak&mdash;Going there will make me stronger?"

"The harsh environment of Dragon's Peak has made it a place for generations of princess maidens to train. However, few people go there to train nowadays&mdash;"

Leonora explained.

"Back when I was thirteen, I also asked the dragons in the mountain to train with me. After shutting myself in the mountains for a month and some, I established a contract with the dragon spirit Nidhogg in the end."

...Stuck in the mountains at the tender age of thirteen huh. Although Kamito wanted to make a witty comment, he soon remembered that he had fallen for Greyworth's nefarious scheme back when he was thirteen too, and ended up being forced to spend three months in the depths of the Spirit Forest in an outdoor survival experience.

"...I get it now. Until Nee-sama's return, I will train on Dragon's Peak!"

Claire clenched her fist and declared.

"It is seriously a harsh environment. A single misstep could have grave consequences."

Leonora warned with a solemn expression.

"Perfect. Unless I go that far, I won't be able to fight alongside Kami&mdash;b-become stronger!"

Claire's determination seemed quite solid.

At that moment&mdash;

"Oh my, how unfair of you, intending to become stronger alone."

With a toss of her long hair, Rinslet remarked.

"Hmm, I feel that I have reached a bottleneck in my own style's training. I cannot keep leaving frontline duties to Kamito and my esteemed sister&mdash;"

"I am going as well. I've had enough of being the caged princess."

Ellis and Fianna nodded as well.

"Then I'm also in. It's not like I can leave the hellcat girl alone."

Hearing Kamito say that...

"Th-There's no need for you to become stronger, right?"

"Not true... After all, the opponent is different."

His blade dance in the imperial capital had been an overwhelming defeat.

If he was going to fight Greyworth, he would need power surpassing Ren Ashbell's prime.

However&mdash;

"What a shame, Kamito, you can't."

Leonora shook her head.

"Why?"

"Men are forbidden from entering Dragon's Peak. If you dare to trespass, I fear you would incur the wrath of the masters of the mountain, either the Demon King Dragon or the Lightning King Dragon."

"I-I see..."

"However, if you were to cross-dress, perhaps it might work..."

"&mdash;Fine, I'm out."

Kamito replied instantly.

Even if they were the Demon King Dragon and the Lightning King Dragon, reputedly the strongest dragons, Kamito honestly did not think they were his match. However, making them go on a rampage would probably hinder the girls' training.

...Furthermore, he somehow felt a sense of camaraderie with the name, "Demon King Dragon."

"Then what should I do...?"

Rubia was heading to the Holy Kingdom, Claire and the girls were going to train on Dragon's Peak, then that left only him and Est in the castle with Restia, the three of them&mdash;

"Uh, i-if it is alright with you, I could personally show you around the dragon capital, Grand Dracunia, you know?"

"Huh?"

Kamito responded. Claire and the girls froze with their jaws dropped.

"Given this rare chance, uh, how about some sightseeing around town?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to impose, since you're a princess after all..."

Just as Kamito wanted to decline...

"I-I am obliged to monitor you. If I leave you alone, who knows if you might extend your evil claws towards the female attendants in the castle&mdash;"

"Like hell anyone is going to extend evil claws!"

"You won't? This is accurate intel gathered by our military's intelligence agency, the Dragon Eye."

"That Dragon Eye is seriously blind!

Kamito could not help but shout in anger, but...

"Kamito, you really have no self-awareness."

"Hmm, but from others' perspective, you are totally the Demon King of the Night!"

"Such scary obliviousness..."

For some reason, the young ladies in his company stared at Kamito and started to whisper secretly among themselves.

"W-What the hell, you girls..."

Kamito narrowed his eyes in suffering.

"F-Fine, anyway, thanks for being my guide. I happen to be a bit interested in the town."

"I-Is that so, then&mdash;"

"Uh, if you don't mind, can Restia&mdash;the maid&mdash;join us?"

"Hmm... W-Well... Sure, I don't mind..."

Hearing Kamito's question, Leonora stammered somewhat in a dilemma.

"...?"

At that very moment...

"Kamito-sama, your maid is already asleep in her room."

The female attendant who had just led Restia to her room quietly approached and informed him.

"...Hmm? Really? Then I wouldn't want to wake her up."

"I-I agree, waking up someone from their sleep is bad! As an ancient Dracunian proverb says, sleeping dragons must not be roused!"

Leonora kept nodding her head repeatedly. At that moment, Kamito noticed the female attendant giving Leonora the thumbs-up.

...Were they passing some kind of secret signal?

"Th-Then, let us depart. Before the maid wakes up, hurry!"

"L-Leonora, you are pulling too hard..."

Caught by the arm, Kamito was getting dragged away.

"Hmm, Leonora-dono is the carnivorous type huh..."

"This type has never shown up before."

"Kamito-san is going to be eaten!"

"J-Jeez, Kamito is such a jerk..."

Behind Kamito, Claire and the girls glared at him resentfully.