Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 2===

Finally released, Kamito stood up letting out a sigh of relief.

Brushing the dirt from his coat, he set foot inside the office.

After Kamito closed the door behind him, Greyworth shrugged her shoulders.

"She is the daughter of the ducal House of Fahrengart. An excellent knight, but somewhat stubborn."

"Is that girl a student here, too? She was wearing armor on top of her uniform."

"She is the leader of the Sylphid Knights, a party which manages any disturbances to the order of the academy."

"Like a public morals committee. In that case, they should manage it more strictly."

Kamito remembered, what happened inside the forest when he met the crimson haired young girl.

... To leave her at large was bad, in all sorts of ways.

"Fu, I'll take that into consideration. By the way Kamito, why are you so grimy. As if you were attacked in the Spirit Forest?"

".....No, I was scratched by a cat. A tomboyish hell cat girl." <!--need to double check this 跳ぬっ返りの火猫娘にな-->

Kamito answered impatiently with a bitter face, and Greyworth shrugged her shoulders again.

"You'd better be careful, rumors say that within the inner depths of the Spirit Forest that even the Spirit Investigation Association would not enter, are S-rank spirits still slumbering. Once you encounter one, your life is forfeited—in your case, can you manage to tame it?"

"Please stop. I don't want to associate myself with an S-rank spirit again."

"Yeah. ''As you are now'', you would probably be a mincemeat in five seconds."

"Not even one second. Actually, with a contracted spirit I might last for seven seconds."

"Fu— ''with a contracted spirit''?" <!-- or should it be spirit contrace? --Chancs -->

Greyworth directed her grayish eyes towards Kamito's right hand.

"That wound? Is ''that'' also a scratch by the cat?"

"This is—"

The wound—on the right hand, that was where the spirit seal was engraved a while ago.

Kamito clicked his tongue inwardly—No, after all he couldn't possibly hide it from the Dusk Witch.

"Well, how to say it. It is just happenstance. I made a contract with a particular sealed spirit. It was ultra-violent, had I failed the contract, I would not be standing here right now."

"Ha, what a change of heart, that you have contracted with a spirit other than ''her''."

The grayish eyes, inside the glasses, glistened sharply.

"Finally you decided to say farewell to that ghost, is that it?"

"... Guh!"

At that mocking tone, Kamito couldn't help but get agitated.

"She is not a ghost! She is..."

Kamito took out the paper in his coat's pocket, then slapped it onto the front desk.

The beautiful witch did not waver in the slightest. A detestable calmness.

Kamito bit his lips, then asked Greyworth.

"This, you sent this to me. Is it true?"

"Ah, it's true. Witches don't tell lies."

"It was... Indeed, you haven't told a lie. But, you've never spoken the truth either."

Kamito spat out what he wanted to say.

"... Well whatever. Tell me what you know."

"Oh boy, is that the attitude of someone asking a witch? You were cuter three years ago."

"The cat changed into a tiger in three years. Do not think it will stay as your pet forever."

"A cat does not change into a tiger and never will."

Greyworth intentionally shrugged her shoulders and fixedly looked into Kamito's eyes.

Kamito was involuntarily overcome by the pressure of that overbearing stare.

"The thing written there is true. ''Your contracted spirit is alive''."

"... Guh!"

Kamito swallowed his breath.

A Witch does not speak the truth. But, she never tells a lie either.

"Her... Restia, where is she now?"

Kamito raised his voice, leaning his body onto the office desk.

The witch without moving her eyebrow, thrust a bundle of documents to the tip of Kamito's nose.

"... What are these?"

"Agreement Terms. Sign here."

"This doesn't make any sense. What do you mean?"

"There is nothing you couldn't understand. For what purpose do you think I summoned you here? Did you take it that I, the Dusk Witch, will simply let you have the information out of goodwill?" <!--need to be double checked. -->

"I understand fully that you have nothing but malice." <!-- ill feelings/hostility ? -- Chancs -->

Kamito snatched the bundle of documents, then slapped it onto the desk.

Bundled with a clip, Areishia Spirit Academy's Admission Notification.

It was written there. No doubt—Kamito's ''public'' Background Profile.

"What kind of a joke is this?"

"Today you will be admitted into the academy. Don't worry, I've already taken care of all the necessary procedures."

"How can I be calm! What do you mean by this, explain!"

"I need you. That's all."

"What?"

The witch's words were always unexpected. Like a midsummer breeze.

"What are you talking about? I mean, this academy is a garden of pure maidens."

"No problem. Such a thing is no big deal with my authority."

"That would be a problem in itself! ''Now is different from three years ago.''"

Provoked by Kamito—

"Don't get the wrong idea, lad. You don't have any right to choose."

Greyworth told him in a shockingly cold voice.

"... Gu!"

"Till now I have allowed you to roam freely. Originally, the elementalist must be managed by the organization. You know that, right?"

"That is—"

In the Ordesia Empire, elementalists are given various privileges, but in exchange they must be registered with the organization. If there exist stray elementalists that harbor ideologies that are against the empire, it will be extremely dangerous to the nation.

"They will sniff out your existence sooner or later. Don't underestimate the country's Spirit Knights, we don't know how it would have been three years ago, but with your current slump you will lose for sure; besides—"

Then, a demonic grin floated from Greyworth.

"There's a slight chance that I might carelessly blab out the secret."

"... What carelessly? In short this is blackmail."

"It helps a lot that you understand so quickly."

"So shameless."

Kamito threw a loathsome comment, Greyworth as if in regret shrugged her shoulders.

"Fu, why are you so dissatisfied? One man in an institution of maidens where real princesses are gathered. Isn't it like a marvelous luxury harem?"

"Oh, please, I'm—"

"If you like, you may take one student from the academy and do whatever you like to her. For example, Ellis Fahrengart from earlier—who is seriously stubborn, but she is of the type to become ultra obedient once well trained. I am sure she will respond to whatever perverted radical play you have in mind."

"Am I a sex deviant?!"

"A joke. There is no way that I have such authority."

"I can never understand your jokes..."

Kamito moaned holding his temple.

"Why did you summon me now? What do you plan to do with me?"

"Glad that we can get to the point directly."

"Since it is useless to oppose a Witch."

A casual reply, Greyworth let out a smile—

"In two months, the Blade Dance will be held in Astral Zero. I have put you up as an entrant there."

"What did you say?"

—Blade Dance.

<!-- Held once evry...? --Chancs -->Once every few years, it is the largest kagura<ref>Kagura 神楽[かぐら], "god-entertainment" refers to a specific type of Shinto theatrical dance.</ref> ritual carried out in Astral Zero.

Elementalists gather from the continent, and perform Blade Dance as an offering for the Five Great Elemental Lords.

So to speak, it's a grand martial battle festival of fellow elementalists.

The country of the victorious team will be given a few years of divine protection by the Elemental Lords, a guaranteed prosperity for the country. Together with a general assembly for the champion—

A single Wish will be granted.

"Win the cup, Kamito. Nevertheless, ''as of now'' it might be impossible for you."

"I—"

Kamito bit his lips, strongly clenching his fist.

Not his right hand where the spirit seal was engraved—It was his left hand covered by the black leather glove.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Zukiri*, A sharp pain ran through his chest.

"I-I have decided that I will never participate in the Blade Dance again." <!-- as mentioned in guidelines --Chancs -->

"No, you will compete. Otherwise, there will be trouble."

Greyworth placed both of her hands onto the office desk, calmly shaking her head.

"Because, nobody but you can win against the Strongest Blade Dancer."

"Wh... at...!?"

The moment that he heard that name, Kamito's face froze.

The Strongest—the elementalists that are given this title, currently, there was only one in the whole continent.

Three years ago, a mere fourteen year old young girl dominated the Blade Dance's individual matches.

"—That is right. ''She'' has returned."

Greyworth's grayish pair of eyes, peered into those of Kamito's.

"The Strongest Blade Dancer—Ren Ashbell."

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===Translator's notes and references===
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