Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume11 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 2===

"...Telling us to wait here, what exactly is she planning?"

"The headmistress will have arrangements."

An hour later, Kamito's group had gathered at the northwestern tip of Ragna Ys.

The night air was very cold. Despite the barrier covering Ragna Ys entirely to stop the wind, the air itself was enough to make the skin chilly.

"...So cold. My hands are almost freezing."

Under thick winter clothes, Kamito shivered.

"It reminds me of the training camp at the Laurenfrost snow mountains when we first entered the Academy."

"Hmm, that was hell."

Hearing Claire remark as she hugged her hell cat tightly, Ellis expressed full agreement.

"This level doesn't really count as cold."

Only Rinslet, who was born and raised in a land of snow, remained unfazed.

"...Say, that looks very warm. Let me hug Scarlet too."

"I don't really mind, but Scarlet doesn't let anyone close apart from me."

Claire took Scarlet from under her arm and handed her to Kamito.

Scarlet shrank into a ball then stayed obediently in Kamito's arms.

"...Wow, so warm."

He felt a sense of warmth rise from within his body.

"Meow&mdash;, meow&mdash;♪"

The hell cat spirit seemed to be meowing very happily.

"...Tsk, w-why is Scarlet acting so intimate!?"

"K-Kamito, that's so unfair! I want a hug too!"

As soon as Ellis reached over, Scarlet began to struggle as though greatly repulsed.

"Kamito-kun, this kind of skin to skin contact would be even warmer."

Boing boing boing.

"Fianna!?"

"W-What, w-what are you doing, pervert princess!?"

At this moment, there was sudden gust of wind, causing the girls' hair to fly at the same time.

"W-What!?"

From under the precipice, a massive object rose up.

Bathed under the moonlight, the object appearing out of the darkness was&mdash;

"The latest model of the Winged Raptor-class combat craft!"

Claire cried out with surprise.

The streamlined craft was shaped like a flying dragon. The ship's body was plated with mithril. The wings on both sides gave off faint light.

Kamito recalled that this was one of the twelve small-sized flying ships owned by the Empire.

At this moment, the control room's door opened and Greyworth appeared on the deck.

"Just use this. However, absolutely do not break it."

"To think you were able to get authorization to use a flying ship in such short time!?"

Beneath the roaring wind, Kamito yelled.

Apart from those reserved for the imperial family, all flying ships were under the Fahrengart family's administration. Without the Knights' authorization, mobilizing a flying ship should be impossible.

"Who do you think I am? I've got plenty of blackmail material to threaten the military with."

"That explains why your life is always being targeted."

"When the time comes, lad, you'll protect me, right?"

"...As if."

Kamito turned his gaze away.

"Hurry and come up, there's not much time left."

Urged by Greyworth, Claire and the others jumped off the precipice and onto the deck.

"Okay, let's hurry&mdash;"

"W-Wait a sec... Kyah!"

As Fianna hesitated, Kamito picked her up in his arms and jumped over together.

"K-Kamito-kun, you're really..."

Landing on the deck, Fianna muttered with her face red.

"Given this ship, it should be able to catch up to the Theocracy's older style flying ship."

"Yes. After all, it is the latest and most advanced flying ship that my grandfather purchased."

Ellis expressed agreement with Greyworth. The Alphas Theocracy did not have the latest model of flying ships. At most, it would be an old-style craft from the Ranbal War era, supplied by Murders.

Greyworth got off the flying ship and looked back at Kamito's group.

"This is all I can do. You guys will control it from here on."

"You can't find a pilot?"

"It's already the middle of the night, of course it can't be arranged. It is able to hover like this in the surroundings of  Ragna Ys where the ether density is high, but if you want to accelerate, you need to activate the spirit mechanism that uses a wind spirit crystal as its core. Ellis, can you manage it?"

"Y-Yes!"

Ellis immediately straightened her posture and nodded.

"Who will pilot it?"

Even though he was trained in the Instructional School, Kamito had never learned the skills for controlling a flying ship.

(On the other hand, specialized in espionage, Lily does have that type of skill&mdash;)

"At least, I've driven the imperial family's mini-craft before."

Fianna looked towards the control room and said quietly.

The control room's center was outfitted with a black slab of stone that had spirit language carved on it.

It looked like a stone panel that responded to touch and was controlled by thoughts.

"The basic controls are similar. As an outstanding princess maiden, you should not find it hard to control."

Greyworth's voice was heard from outside.

"I will stay on deck with Scarlet to guard against spirits. Rinslet, please prepare some midnight snacks. There should be a simple kitchen on a mini-craft."

"Understood!"

"What should I do?"

"Uh, Kamito should..."

Claire pondered for a while&mdash;

"Anyway, getting some sleep before we arrive would be nice, right?"

...Nothing he could contribute.

Oh well, it was true that there was nothing else he could do.

"Who knows the abandoned city's location?"

"The darkness spirit over there should know, right?"

"...Still the same, you don't know your manners, Dusk Witch."

The demon sword of darkness transformed into a girl in a dress the color of night.

Her beautiful black wings spread open and fluttered in the night sky.

"Restia!"

"...Fine. I shall lead the way until we reach the abandoned city. Be grateful to me."

"Darkness spirit, I don't trust you. Don't tell me you've forgotten everything you did back at the Academy."

Claire glared at Restia overhead.

"It matters not to me, if you know a safe route as humans. Once you enter the territory of archdemon-class spirits, this ship will be turned into sawdust."

"...!"

"Claire, it's okay. Believe in my partner."

"...Sigh, I know."

Claire shrugged.

Then lighting a small flame, she handed it over to Restia.

"...What's this?"

Restia inclined her head in puzzlement.

"You can't use light-attribute magic, right? It's hard to see you in the dark, so use this as a signal lamp."

"Ah yes, I see. How inconvenient it is to be human."

Understanding, Restia caught the fireball.

"Very well, let's go. To protect Iseria."