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

===Part 1===

Prior to dawn, the sky was still dark and the snow-covered land was shrouded in silence.

Having lost its core, the Queen of Ice Blossoms, Zirnitra's bloated existence could not be sustained and collapsed. Originally, spirits destroyed in the human realm would disappear and return to Astral Zero, but having melded together with tangible matter, Zirnitra had lost this trait of spirits and ended up as a corpse left out in the open.

Taking the unconscious Judia, Kamito and Rinslet returned to Winter Gulf Castle for now.

Attacked by the ice dragons, the castle walls were severely damaged but the interior of the castle was essentially unharmed. There were no deaths among the soldiers either.

In order to prevent chaos from breaking out among the people in the castle, Rinslet kept Judia in her own room for now. Snoring away in her slumber, Judia looked very young in face, almost as though her time had stopped since the Water Elemental Festival on that day four years ago.

As for Judia's sudden return, Mireille could hardly contain her surprise initially but soon displayed her characteristic optimism, offering with Milla to take care of Judia together.

After finishing her duties for the most part, Rinslet was having a bath alone in the purification facility.

"...Phew. With too many things happened, I am totally exhausted."

Immersed in the hot water up to her shoulders, Rinslet breathed a sigh of relief.

Due to defending Winter Gulf Castle and giving Kamito the majority of her divine power, her body was excessively fatigued.

To avoid collapsing on the ground, she had to recover her divine power as quickly as possible.

...Things will only get busier from now on. Not just about Judia, but also arranging for healers to treat the wounded soldiers, repairing the half-destroyed castle walls, as well as&mdash;

(...I still need to do something about those children who lost their forest.)

Rinslet had gathered the Elfim children whose settlement was destroyed, bringing them to the castle for protection and medical treatment.

Elfim tribes were not bound by imperial laws to begin with, but those living in the Forest of Ice Blossoms were equivalent to Laurenfrost subjects. Giving them necessary protection was part of a noble's duties.

(...Before Father and Mother return, I must fulfill the duties of a temporary ruler properly.)

While she was pondering these matters in the bath, her body felt scorching as though on fire.

"...Huah... I-It's here... again...!"

Her heart was beating intensely and she could feel divine power that should have been depleted, coursing rapidly through her body.

...The reason did not require much thinking. It was precisely the kiss she shared with Kamito.

(...This power, what on earth is going on?)

Touching her moist lips with her finger, Rinslet murmured to herself.