Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume14 Chapter9 (section)

===Part 2===

With special footwork making no sound at all, the special operative knight from Umbra advanced quickly in the dark.

Criss-crossing vast underground ruins, the path was so long that it seemed endless&mdash;

Finally, spirit crystal lighting revealed a certain bizarre manmade structure in the passage ahead.

A gigantic iron grate stretching all the way to the ceiling.

Virrey walked up to it. After turning one of the rusted bars in the grate several times, she took off a section in the middle, thus creating a gap that a person could squeeze through.

"I cannot believe a place like this exists under the imperial capital..."

Ellis could not help but exclaim in surprise.

"Is this Umbra's secret entrance?"

Without responding to Kamito's muttering, Virrey silently advanced in the dark.

Suddenly, they were struck by an intense rotting stench, forcing Kamito to frown.

The disgusting sticky feeling underfoot seemed familiar, like the corpse of some kind of small animal.

"...Could this place be&mdash;"

"Yes, the palace's trash heap. However, what gets abandoned here includes more than trash."

Whispering profound words, Virrey stopped in front of the trash heap.

On top of the mountain of trash was a circular shaft built from brick and mortar.

Light from the surface leaked in from there, illuminating the surroundings, instantly revealing an unsightly scene.

Mixed in the trash was a large amount of white bones. Although the majority belonged to small animals like rats, there were also bones of bigger sizes.

A sight Kamito had grown used to seeing during his childhood. The abandoned corpses of children that had died during harsh training.

"...K-Kamito, this is...!"

Claire covered her mouth and groaned. Ellis was also speechless from shock.

"The Research Tower of Guas Gibai, have you heard this name before?"

"...First time I'm hearing it."

"A research facility during the Ranbal War, it was also known as the Torture Tower."

"The Torture Tower?"

Hearing Claire's whisper, Kamito asked.

"Yes, during the Ranbal War, the Empire was conducting inhumane experiments that included cursed armament seals. Among them, the Research Tower of Guas Gibai was infamous as a record of the Ordesia Empire's scandalous history."

"Right, but the tower itself was already sealed off long ago. This trash heap beneath an affluent nobles district can be considered a relic of that era&mdash;"

"...What a disgusting place."

Kamito spoke as though spitting.

"&mdash;The place where Dame Greyworth is imprisoned is that Torture Tower."

"...Huh?" "What?" "Say that again!?"

The trio exclaimed involuntarily.

"But isn't the tower sealed off&mdash;"

"Several months ago, Arneus opened the tower. He forced the imperial council to pass the resolution by calling it a military research facility. A military facility in name but Arneus' personal possession in fact. Besides the researchers working under him, rumors even say that a cardinal from the Holy Kingdom has been sighted coming and going there&mdash;"

"The headmistress is in that kind of place&mdash;"

"But why...?"

"Their agenda is unknown. But Dame Greyworth's body of eternal youth is probably an excellent test subject for those people&mdash;"

"The old lady..."

Kamito gritted his teeth and looked up at the shaft.

&mdash;After climbing up the shaft, they were surrounded by a flourishing forest.

This was probably a forest inside the vast nobles district for royalty and aristocrats to engage in recreational activities such as horseriding or hunting. That being said, nobles would probably not ride to such a dense part of the forest.

The sky was shrouded by gray clouds.

If it rained, the sound should be able to cover up their footsteps.

"...What about the guards outside?"

"Should be few in number at this hour. Furthermore, the First Division of the Imperial Knights apparently moved out to handle a military ship of unknown nationality in the imperial capital's outskirts right now."

Kamito and Claire exchanged a glance.

...Almost assuredly, it was Rubia's Revenant.

"The Second Princess is currently imprisoned in the underground Temple of World Isolation beneath the Grand Shrine of Areishia. I'd be very grateful if you could cause a big commotion to divert attention."

"I don't really want to overdo it, but I guess it can't be helped."

"Yeah..."

Hearing Claire's murmur, Kamito concurred.

That being said, it would be unrealistic to think he could storm the place without even drawing the Demon Slayer. Elite high-level knights were guarding the shrine along with the Empire's strongest, the Numbers.

"And the Numbers guarding the shrine are?"

"The knights in charge of guarding the Great Shrine of Areishia should be under the command of Leschkir Hirschkilt, third of the Numbers. Dame Leschkir uses Typhon, a gravity spirit."

"A gravity spirit huh? I think it might be tough to handle with a sword spirit."

"However, first-ranked Dame Sephira, second-ranked Dame Irvine and fourth-ranked Dame Dunei are currently heading out to intercept the military ship. You should count your blessings already."

Kamito stared at the towering Great Shrine of Areishia in the distance.

"I'm leaving Greyworth's rescue to you, Virrey."

"Yeah, good luck to you too."