Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume13 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 1===

As soon as he finished breakfast, Kamito began to pack his luggage for the upcoming trip to Laurenfrost lands.

"...Although it was said already, I can't believe I'm actually going to a place like Laurenfrost."

"What about a place like Laurenfrost, Kamito-san? Although it is on the Empire's border, indeed, I'll have you know that my homeland is a picturesque place with beautiful scenery."

"No, I'm sorry, you're getting the wrong idea from what I said."

Kamito frantically apologized to Rinslet.

Rinslet pouted angrily.

After possessing Fenrir earlier, Iseria's consciousness had returned to Astral Zero already. Due to being corroded by the otherworldly darkness, the other Elemental Lords required a great deal of her energy to suppress. As a result, she could only make appearances that were very limited in time.

Continuing to pack, Kamito silently prayed in his heart.

(She must still be alive, definitely&mdash;)

Accompanied by the anomalous Gate, the girl in the black dress had appeared in the borderland forest.

...Perhaps this really was just a coincidence.

Simply speculation carrying a wonderful wish. Kamito understood clearly in his heart.

Nevertheless, he was still willing to believe in the slight possibility.

(&mdash;You must wait for me, Restia.)

Kamito secretly committed his determination while swiftly packing all the equipment needed for crossing snow-covered mountains.

The equipment was borrowed from the Academy's training room and included Artifacts specialized for use in snow terrain.

The shortest route to Laurenfrost territory&mdash;The Kyria Mountain Range&mdash;was currently under heavy snowfall for unknown reasons. Although back at the Instructional School, Kamito had already undergone plenty of training for expeditions across snow terrain, he knew that crossing snow-covered mountains without appropriate equipment was equivalent to suicide.

"Well, having prepared this much, it should be enough..."

Kamito patted the bulging backpack and confirmed the equipment while talking.

"Kamito-san, please do not underestimate the Kyria Mountain Range."

Rinslet spoke with a serious expression.

"That mountain range has already taken the lives of hundreds. Although I can understand your feelings that compel you to set off as soon as possible, if you don't want to die there, no amount of preparation is too much."

"...I-I see."

Kamito gasped.

As the daughter of the margrave ruling those lands, Rinslet's words carried extra impact.

"...But I still need to thank you, Rinslet."

In the middle of packing, Kamito paused his hand and spoke.

"Eh?"

"Umm, I'm really glad that you're accompanying me."

Rinslet's face instantly turned bright red.

Just this morning, when Kamito made his decision to travel to Laurenfrost territory, Rinslet had suggested going with him because she was familiar with the local terrain and road conditions. Since it was his first time visiting Laurenfrost, Kamito could not be more glad to receive her assistance.

"Th-That would be because I was planning to go home in the first place. I-It's not like I am going back just for your sake, Kamito-san, please do not get the wrong idea."

Rinslet turned her face shyly to the side.

Already used to this kind of attitude from her, Kamito could not help but smile wryly. Despite looking like an overbearing girl at first glance, she was actually just bad at expressing her feelings. At her core, she was really a kind young lady.

"...~! W-What are you smiling at, Kamito-san?"

Rinslet glared angrily at Kamito.

"Oh, umm&mdash;"

Kamito frantically turned his gaze away.

"Speaking of which, won't Claire get mad if we take her stuff without asking?"

Kamito picked up a spirit crystal nearby and asked worriedly.

The spirit crystal he had just put in the bag was found in Claire's cupboard. Although it was an inferior item with very low purity, even so, it was still quite an indispensable tool for elementalists.

"No problem. Claire frequently eats my snacks without asking too."

"...I guess that's true."

Claire frequently took snacks to eat from Rinslet's room without permission, but she did not hog them all to herself. Using the stolen food as tea snacks, her roommates Kamito and Fianna, as well as Scarlet the actual perpetrator were all accomplices in a certain sense.

...Oh well, it should be okay given that Claire and Rinslet grew up together as childhood friends.

Despite feeling guilty, Kamito still "borrowed" the cans hidden in the depths of the cupboard. As much as he hoped it would not happen, if they actually got stranded in the snow on a mountain, this would serve as extremely precious emergency rations.

(...She should forgive me if I explain properly to her next time. It seems like she's become less violent lately.)

Meeting her older sister probably helped calm her down. Although they had met under those circumstances, in spite of that, Rubia still managed to convey her reasons for betraying the Elemental Lords as well as how much she missed her sister. For Claire, this could be considered some kind of salvation.

Back when Kamito first encountered her, Claire would close off her heart like a wounded little animal, always attacking others. However, that kind of personality had already disappeared now.

(...Yeah, she was a kind and gentle girl to begin with, after all.)

Just as Kamito was thinking about the girl who had already returned to her homeland...

"These spirit crystals&mdash;"

Rinslet murmured softly.

"Many of them don't have sealed spirits inside."

On closer examination, the spirit crystals in Rinslet's hands had lost their shine indeed. If crystals had spirits sealed inside them, even without infusing divine power, they should still give off a weak glow.

"Throwing them into the back of the cupboard like this, she totally failed to maintain them properly."

"...Seriously, how lazy of her despite clearly being an honors student."

Rinslet shrugged in exasperation.

Spirit crystals served as temporary residences for spirits. Hence, they must be carefully wiped and frequently undergo purification rituals to create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for the spirits living inside. Otherwise, the spirits might break the seal on their own and escape. This was doubly true for poor quality spirit crystals like these ones.

"Then I shall head over to the Spirit Forest to catch a few fire spirits."

"Yeah, I'll go find that hag Greyworth to get permission to leave."

Saying that, Kamito took down Terminus Est that was hanging on the wall.

"Going to the school building?"

"&mdash;I'm guessing she's probably at the Academy Town."