Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume8 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 7===

After Greyworth left the mansion, Kamito immediately began cleaning.

It had started off as an unfamiliar maid job, but he had finally gotten the knack of it.

As he walked down the hallway that had an expensive carpet spread out along it,

(......I really didn't know anything other than fighting.)

All this time, he had never been allowed to realize that.

The disciples of the Instructional School were only tools for the purpose of slaughter. They were never taught unnecessary knowledge.

Restia had bestowed him with knowledge of the outside world, but their time together had been too short. Particularly in their first meeting, Kamito had not seen her as anything other than an enemy he had to defeat. (―He wondered if the Instructional School was completely dissolved by the empire.)

He didn't have any particularly strong feelings about that but―

The one that crossed his mind was the girl with ash grey hair that had disappeared into the flames.

The girl that had called him her brother and adored him.

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The second-place "Monster" of the Instructional School ― Muir Alenstarl.

Was she done in by those flames or captured by the spirit knights, he wondered.

(Either one doesn't seem likely......)

Shrugging his shoulders, he opened Greyworth's study with the key he'd been provided.

Books were ordered and lined up on the bookshelf that covered an entire wall and a bunch of documents were piled up on the office desk.

"......It looks like what she said about being a university graduate is true."

Kamito muttered and stepped into the room with broom in hand.

......It was a larger room than he had imagined. Perhaps to prevent the deterioration of research materials, there was no window. In its place, a spirit crystal's illumination lit up the entire room dimly.

A glass wardrobe was adorned with raw spirit crystals and a collection of demonic accessories. They were undoubtedly items of absurd prices.

―And amongst them, he realized there was a gaudy medal left carelessly.

"This is......"

In the center of a wooden shield, a beautiful spirit crystal was embedded, and Greyworth's name was carved on the metal plate.

"......The medal given to the victor of the Blade Dance, huh."

The elementalists' festival that happened once every several years or possibly several decades in Astral Zero.

It seemed this was an item from over twenty years ago when the Dusk Witch had won.

"Blade dance, huh......"

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He remembered what Greyworth had said a few days ago.

―It's just that that blade style is inconvenient in a variety of ways. It's not suited for blade dancing.

Is what she had said.

He wondered what the difference was with the sword techniques that had been hammered into him at the Instructional School.

(―My sword techniques could not reach the Dusk Witch.)

He was sure that she had said "Absolute Blade Arts"―

As if stabbing through the blank in one's consciousness, it was an inexplicable sword technique. Until now, that was the only sword technique that Kamito had not been able to see through after one time.

(......Why?)

―You are strong.

―But that is, after all, an empty strength.

(......I don't get it. I know nothing other than that strength.)

Moving away from the wardrobe, this time he looked upon the desk.

And there.

"......!?"

Seeing an item that would surprise anyone, Kamito gasped.

An ancient book with leather bindings.

The title carved in spirit language was―The Key of Solomon.

(......No way, she already obtained it!?)

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Of course, it was not the original but a copy. Be that as it may, it should still have information on the legendary-class demonic accessory, Solomon's Ring, that Restia was sealed in.

"......"

Kamito stretched his hand out without hesitation. Kamito had not really studied languages, but thanks to Restia, he could roughly decipher the meaning to some extent.

......If he at least understood the method, the process itself didn't seem too difficult. If he used the ritual equipment gathered in the room, he should be able to begin the spirit freeing ritual immediately.

The shrill sound of a bell resounded.

"......!?"

It was the notification that an intruder had entered the mansion's Barrier.

"Kuu, at this kind of time―"

Clicking his tongue, Kamito turned his gaze to the door―

Those eyes opened in surprise.

(―Since when!?)

A shadow with a small build draped in black cloth was standing on the other side of the door.