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

===Part 3===

"...As expected of the latest combat craft model. It's like a wind spirit."

The sound of the wind rumbled. Looking outside the window in the cabin, Kamito muttered.

A wind barrier was erected around the ship's body and kept slicing through the clouds. Down in the engine room, Ellis must be working quite hard.

"...But to think I would be asked to go sleep."

Kamito muttered to himself.

Although there was some remaining fatigue accumulated from the final round, Kamito did not feel at ease leaving everything to the girls and going to sleep by himself.

"Oh well, if I try to help, I'll just end up getting in the way..."

Kamito lay down on his side on the bed.

At this moment, he felt a hard object in his pocket.

"...Speaking of which, I should pass it along."

Kamito recalled.

It was the pendant from Claire's older sister.

The pendant carved with the House of Elstein's crest, the flame lion.

Even after plunging into her hellish path, Rubia still held on to this object.

Kamito got up from bed.

Walking in the corridor, he was about to take the stairs up to the deck&mdash;

...Unable to resist, he halted in his steps.

A wonderful aroma was drifting through the kitchen door's gap.

(...Rinslet's making midnight snacks, right?)

His stomach began to growl. Thinking back, he had not eaten since morning.

Following the aroma, he pushed the kitchen door open.

"...Kamito, what's the matter?"

Dressed in an apron, Rinslet turned around with a spoon in hand.

Kamito could see a pot bubbling on top of a fire spirit crystal. Looks like the aroma came from this pot of soup.

"I'm hungry. Smelling this aroma, I couldn't help but come here."

"...I see. Please be patient for a while."

Rinslet served the steaming soup into a bowl.

"This soup is made from bacon and potatoes. Those are all the ingredients I could find in storage."

"No, that's enough. It looks very tasty."

Kamito took a sip of soup.

"...Ahhh, delicious."

The delicious taste felt as though steam was rising from the bottom of his heart.

"The saltiness is just right."

"I-If you don't mind this type of crude cooking, I can make as much as you want."

Blushing, Rinslet kept twirling her hair in her finger.

Kamito finished the soup in one breath.

"Thanks for the meal... Thank you."

"You're going back to the room?"

"No, I still want to check out the deck."

Just as he was about to exit the kitchen&mdash;

"Uh, umm..."

"...Rinslet?"

Kamito's uniform sleeve was grabbed from behind.

...No, rather than grabbed, it felt more like it was held between fingers.

"U-Umm..."

Rinslet's head was bowed, looking very indecisive.

"C-Could you hold... my hand?"

Finally, she spoke quietly.

Gazing up at Kamito, her emerald eyes seemed to be wavering.

Her right hand had lost the spirit seal. Her fingers were trembling.

One could hardly blame her. Despite acting full of vigor in front of everyone&mdash;

She was actually still very ill at ease.

...Kamito silently held her hand. He held her frail, delicate and feminine fingers.

"Fenrir will be taken back for sure. Don't worry."

"...Yes."

With Kamito holding her hand, Rinslet nodded.