Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 3===

"&mdash;You there, did you really see a girl in a black dress?"

"Y-Yes, no mistake about it..."

At the northern limits of Laurenfrost territory in the Ordesia Empire, a dense and flourishing forest grew along the border with the Holy Kingdom of Lugia. Even during the daytime, sunlight did not penetrate inside.

A small village at one end of the forest had been taken over by a band of strange people.

Girls dressed in gray overcoats.

A total of five. All carrying swords. They swept their gazes across the frightened villagers.

"...What do you think?"

The girl, apparently the commander, pointing her sword at the old man while asking her subordinates behind her.

"It is most likely that darkness spirit, no mistake about it."

"Hmph, so Des Esseintes turned out to be correct in their predictions&mdash;"

The girl murmured quietly to herself and turned to the old man again.

"So, you lost the girl that you rescued in the forest?"

"Y-Yes, that's right. When me and the ol' missus were walking together, dense fog suddenly came down. By the time we realized, the girl had suddenly disappeared."

The old man was trembling all over in fright, shaking his head desperately.

(...Doesn't seem to be lying, I suppose?)

The girl slowly withdrew her sword&mdash;

The Holy Kingdom's knight&mdash;Luminaris Saint Leisched&mdash;sighed in exasperation.

(Mischief wrought by forest spirits? If the darkness spirit were to fall into the hands of other powers apart from the Holy Kingdom, it would be troublesome.)

It was already a few days ago when Des Esseintes had confirmed the anomalous Gate appearing in the forest on the Ordesia Empire's border. The Sacred Spirit Knights' direct superior, Cardinal Millennia Sanctus, instantly issued orders to arrest the being that had appeared near the Gate&mdash;the darkness spirit.

Although this was the border, it was clearly illegal for the Holy Kingdom's knights to enter Ordesia territory. If they were to be discovered, it would develop into a foreign relations problem between countries.

(Going this far to capture her, is the darkness spirit really that important?)

...All sorts of doubts swirled in her mind. But as a knight, she was not supposed to harbor doubts.

The Holy Kingdom's knights were simply executors who fully carried out the will of Des Esseintes.

(I lost in the Blade Dance against that girl and also failed the mission to exterminate the darkness spirit.)

Before this mission is accomplished, I am probably not permitted to step back into my native soil.

In order to recover the Sacred Spirit Knights' honor, I must find that darkness spirit no matter what&mdash;

"Everyone, because of that, we&mdash;"

"Luminaris-sama&mdash;"

She was interrupted by Ayla Cedar.

"What is it?"

"There are problems with invading the forest."

"What?"

Luminaris frowned&mdash;

"...Snow?"

She could not help but laugh wryly and quietly.

White snowflakes were dancing in the forest, fluttering in the air.

Even for the Laurenfrost region that was known for its cold climate, normally speaking, snow was not supposed to fall this time of the year.

A great snow contrary to seasonal norms.

"Ever since the Blade Dance ended, the Laurenfrost region's climate has been very anomalous."

"The Empire should have received the Elemental Lords' blessings."

"If this can be considered blessings, it's truly unacceptable&mdash;"

Although not as bad as the Spirit Forest, this forest was also a very dangerous place. Besides, going on an expedition in this kind of weather, merely coming back alive was already uncertain.

"How about we return for now and call for reinforcements?"

Hearing her subordinate's suggestion, Luminaris shook her head.

"How could we possibly turn back empty-handed? To recover the tarnished honor of the Sacred Spirit Knights, the darkness spirit must be captured and taken back no matter what."

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