Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter4

The Wolf, the Cat and the Knight

Yare, Yare. I have suffered quite a lot since coming here.

One hour has passed since then. Slowly rubbing the pain away from his back, Kamito walks in the court yard of the academy.

Although he has not been turned into cinders receiving a hit from that flame whip; maybe Claire has hold back some of her power, still it doesn't change the fact that it is quite painful.

Claire must be harshly admonished by Madam Freya in the punish room.

Having eluded those female classmates who has enthusiastic pursued him, Kamito finally obtains a moment of peace.

Unlike other students, he has no class for the afternoon. After all, he has entered the school just now and has not registered for the courses.

Areishiya spirit academy operates on a credit system in which the students can freely choose their preferred courses so long as they meets the requirements. Because of enormous diversity of the contracted spirits of the students, a uniform curriculum will not be able to fully develop the potential of each himemiko.

"For the time being, I make some preparations for the school life starting from tomorrow. "

Kamito finally comes to his specially prepared dormitory, a hut erected on the side of the stable.

Its appearance now looks worse than the time seen from the window, on top of that, it has the smell of cattle.

The door opens with a squeak. Kamito steps in timidly.

"Hmm, surprisingly, not too bad."

Kamito expressed his impression.

First of all, the bed is clean. Looking from the inside, the room itself is spacious. Straw bed, table, chair, cabinet and other furnitures are prepared after all. Cooking utensils are present as well. Anyhow there won't be much trouble to liver here.

Kamito immediately lie down on the straw bed, although it prickles the back a bit, the smell of sun dried straws are good for comfortable sleeps.

"Oh, well, no matter how to look at it, I need to endure it for two months".

Lying still on the bed , Kamito fixes his eyes on the left hand covered black leather glove.

Two months from now, the spirit blade dance will be held in the elemental spirit realm Astral Zero.

Before that, he must find four more teammates in order to enter the contest.

It is not clear what Greywhorth will have him to do.

But there is something he must check with his own eyes.

A name that is deeply tied to the fate of himself.

Participating in the contest of the spirit blade dance festival 3 years ago, Unmatchable Blade Dancer.

That accompanying her is a spirit of darkness that takes the form a human girl.

Who on earth are they?

Ren Ashubel shouldn't exist in this world anymore. Besides Greyworth, only very small number of people are aware of this.

Even though one is just an impostor who gained the title of unmatchable blade-dancer by fraud, it can't be for this reason that the witch has made all the trouble to summon him here. Greyworth must be holding a huge secret.

No matter what, to find out the truth, the only way is to cross blades directly in the spirit blade dance festival in two months.

"But, in your current state, you won't be able to defeat her. " said Greyworth.

That most likely to be true. The witch is not lying. But surely she is not telling the truth either.

In the end, it all come down to "the current state".

But in merely two month, he has to regain what was lost in the past three years.

"..."

....Guu, suddenly his stomach growls.

Feeling exhausted, Kamito lowers his arm that was raised toward the roof.

After all, he has not had anything since wondering into the spirit forest this morning.

However, he decides to endure the the empty stomach.

The reason is that he is out of money. Although there are restaurants for the students in the academy, the price is surprisingly high. This has already passed the level of a shool for high class ladies, but a school for princesses indeed.

What's the point of one cup of soup being as expensive as normal folk's salary?

"It can't be helped. Maybe I'll ask Ellis to show me around in the academic city tomorrow. "

One should be able to find cheaper and delicious restaurants in the academy city at the foot of the hill.

With the cooking utensils, he can also just buy the material and cook it on his own. For the fire all he needs to do is to go the spirit forest and catch some low level fire spirits.

"Bacon and mushroom pasta sounds really good..."

He gets more hungry by thinking about food.

"should I go to the spirit forest and collect some mushrooms now?"

As he starts to seriously entertain that thought, from somewhere, the smell of delicious soup flows in.

"....hmm?"

Frowning, Kamito get up from the bed.

It seems the smell is coming in from the gap of half open door.

Twitching his nose to inhale the smell, Kamito opens the door...

In front of him is a bowl of soup that gives off white steams.

Filled with a lot of onions and chicken with bones, the soup looks delicious.

"... am I imagining things, or is this the kindness from heaven for my unending misfortune?"

Drawing a blank because of the hunger, Kamito stretched out his hand toward the bowl without any suspicion.

Suddenly the bowl is raised up a bit.

He stretched out his hand again.

Once again the bowl is raised.

Then in front of the Kamito is the face of that princess with platinum blond hair.

Her name should be Rinslet Laurenfrost if he remembered correctly.

Behind her, the girl Carol in maid dresses stands courteously.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Kamito asks with half opened eye.

"Fuu, you must be hungry, right? Kamito Kazehaya?"

"Yeah."

Kamito nods honestly.

"Bark woof, and then swear that you will be my slave, I'll let you have this bowl of soup."

Rinslet hold the bowl still, and turns her large chest sideways.

"I refuse. Bye Bye."

Bang.

"Ahh, wait, wait a second. Listen to what I say, you insolent. "

Bang! Bang! Door is kicked repeatly .

It will be trouble if she breaks it. Kamito opens the door again.

"What's that? You are going to let me have soup now?"

"Right away if you lick my foot ... Ahh, why are you closing the door again!"

Rinslet quickly sticks her foot in the gap of the door, like a veteran debt collector.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

It looks painful... What the hell is she here for anyway?

"Are you alright, my lady?"

Worried about Rinslet, the Maid Carol asks.

Kamito has no choice but to open the door, Rinslet glares at him with tears in her eyes.

"How can you be such an insolent guy after I offered my hands with kindness to you? "

"No, you... hands with kindness?"

It appears that she was serious. Slowly Kamito's head starts aching.

"Sheesh, all the princesses of this academy are so troublesome. "

Kamito complains inside his mind.

"Ahh"

Having gotten a glimpse of the inside of the hut, the face of Rinslet starts to twitch.

"Ah, you, why are you living inside a stable?"

"The stable is next door. This is my dormitory. Home is where you make it."

"..."

"Stop looking at me with such pity. It makes me feel sad."

Her face looks like that she is seriously concerned about it. Kamito's attitude softs a little bit.

"Rather than living in a condition like this, you should come to my house. I'll specially hire you as a servant."

"Ahh, my lady, I believe he will look great if we dress him as a maid. "

Carol shows her support with a big smile. This girl is troublesome as well.

Well, after all, it looks like that Rinslet is genuinly worried about the circumstances.

"Your sympathy is appreciated, but I don't plan to throw away my pride." Kamito shakes his head.

Displeased, Rinslet perk up her lips.

"So you don't like to become my servant?"

"That's right. There is no use to try to placate me. "

"So full of yourself, even though you wag your tails at Claire Rouge. "

"When did I wag my tail at that girl?" Kamito grumbles with half open eye. Well, many people might think the same---

Could it be that this princess try to get close to Kamito mainly out of her rivalry with Claire?

"Yareyare, such an unexpected annoyance." Kamito let out a heavy sigh.

"I got it. That's fine with me if that's how you wants it." Rinslet clears her throat, and placed the bowl on the ground.

"hmm?"

"I'll leave the soap here. From the very beginning it was because Carol cooked too much of it and it will be a shame to waste the left overs. You should be grateful to my benevolence. "

"Eh?"

(This young lady, by any chance----)

Rinslet turns around elegantly and is about to leave.

"Ahh, Wait, Rinslet!"

Kamito suddenly calls out.

Rinslet winces and stops in her steps.

"Wh-what is that? Suddenly calling other people's first name---"

"I can't be your servant, but we can be friends."

"Eh?"

Rinslet's emerald green eyes open wide.

"Thank you for being worried and coming to see me."

"Wh-wha, you, you insolent. Of, of course that's not true."

Rinslet suddenly blushes and turns her face away.

"Fufu, my lady is so..."

Carol covers her mouth and giggles.

Just at this time -

"Rinslet Laurenfrost!"

A voice that Kamito has gotten familiar with suddenly passes into the his ears.

Claire walk towards here, her red pigtails swaying .

It appears that Madam Freya admonishing session is finally over.

"Don't feed my contract spirits without permission, you thiefing dog."

"You ... whom are you calling a thiefing dog!? "

Here we go again, Kamito lets out a tired sigh.

"What's that? Isn't your family crest a dog? "

"You - Laurenfrost's family crest is a proud White Wolf!"

"White Wolf? Changing it into a Chihuahua fits you better."

"...!"

Provoted by Claire's words---

"Claire Rouge ... you really got my dander up. " Rinslet said with suppress voice.

In a flash, a fog-like chill hangs around them. The temperature drops dramatically.

"Wait, you can't be calling your spririt -"

Kamito hastily calls out, but it was too late.

The cold wind swirls. Rinslet's hair flies up, rippling.

"Oh freezing beast with Ice-teeth, merciless hunter of the forest, Now is the time to abide the contract of blood, hasten to my side as commanded!"

As soon as Rinslet finishes enchanting in the spirit language, a gust of ice storm engulfs all sorrounding.

Amid the roaring and swirling blizzard, a figure appears.

A beautiful wolf, with a coat of silver white hair.

Its body exudes a freezing chill.

"This is ..."

"It is the contract spirit of my lady, Fenrir." Carol said with a smiles.

The imposing aura that White Wolf carries, is definitely imcomparable by a low level spirit.

For the ranking of the spirits, the White Wolf is unmistakably higher than mid-level. To have made contracts with spirits of this level, this young lady is definitely not your ordinary person.

"Well, your dog is still the same, with its coat color barely meritable."

Claire shakes her pigtails in disdain.

"You... you called it a dog again, You flat chest! I absolutely will not forgive your insult to the family of Laurenfrost!"

Covered with the chilling air, the White Wolf roars, and dashed toward Claire.

"Whom are you calling flat chest! Come, Scarlet!"

Claire lashes at the ground with her whip. A scorching hell cat immediately appeares from the twirling rising flames.

It appears that Claire has long conjured up her spirit already.

"-Hey you two! No fighting with your spirit here!" Kamito cries out. The horses in the stables neigh in fear.

"I will not forgive you to put your hand on my slave. I'll end it here today, you theiveing dog."

"Well, I'll surely steal your servant and make him mine!"

Sparks burst out between the two girls.

If one only listen to these lines, it sounds like two woman in love fighting over a man.

"The two ladies look like lovers fighting over a man!"

"Carol, you don't have to say that." Kamito looks at the maid standing next to him with squinted eyes .

"By the way, is really Ok to not stop them?"

"Right. They have always been like this."

"These two girls have always been behaving like this to each other ..."

"Yes, the relation between the two ladies is very good."

"Is this the irony?"

Kamito grumbles with a sigh.

"You have alwaying been an eyesore, Claire Rouge!"

"You are the same, Rinslet! Why do you have to always cause me trouble!"

Magic ice spirit Fenrir---

Inflammation spirit Scarlet---

Two spirits suddenly jump up in the air and clashed.

Ice and Fire collids, sending storm bursting around.

From the point of view of Kamito, the levels of the two spirit are almost the same. But it seems that Claire has an advantange in the skill of mastering the spirits.

However, the flame spirit in her command is apparently quite spent out.

(Because she was beaten up by the sword spirit a few hours ago---)

Receiving such a large amount of damage, she can't possibly have recovered by taking a short break.

Kamito observes the fighter of the two spirits.

"Eh? What?...... a burning smell?"

Kamito frowns and looks around.

When the sight comes into his eyes, his expression suddenly freezes.

It is Burning.

Kamito's hut is burned fiercely.

The straws that stocked next to his hut have caught the sparks of the flame spirit and started burning.

"Ah, my home!"

Hearing the cries of Kamito, Claire quickly turns toward here.

"Rinslet! Pause! We got fire!"

"It is no use to distract me ... Huh? It is really burning!"

The hut fire burns more and more violent. Sooner or later the stables will catch fire too.

"My home---"

"Calm down. Fire of this scale, I'll put it out in no time - Fenrir!"

Rinslet cry out, the white wqolf of magic ice instantly comes back to her side.

Just as one thinks that the white wolf suddenly disappeared in the air, in Rinslet's hands a huge <ice Longbow> appears.

"Elemental Waffe(weapon)" the second purified form of the spirit.

"Oh freezing teeth of ice, pierce your target! <freezing arrow>!"

Rinslet pull up an ice arrow and shoot.

The arrows turns into countless ice pieces and pour down, the burning flame is instantly extinguished.

"Well, with me here it is a piece of cake!"

Rinslet strokes her long platinum blond hair and puffs out her chest proudly.

"......"

Kamito stands motionlessly with the dumbfound stare.

The hut was smashed into pieces by pouring down ice arrows.

"Kohon", Rinslet lets out a dry cough.

"... Seems that I went a bit too far."

"This is not called a bit. Do you have any control of your power?"

"You ... shut up! From the very beggining it was you who lit it up!"

Ignoring the stunned Kamito, those two engaged in arguments again.

At this time -

"What are you doing!"

The footsets of several people running from the middle court can be heard.

One of them is the ponytail girl in a silver breastplate.

Ellis Fahrengart, the commander of the Knight brigade Sylpheed who is in charge of upkeeping the discipline of the academy.

Behind her there are two girls in the same dress.

Claire sucks her tongue, and Rinslet also didn't bother to hide her face of displeasure.

"It is prohibited to fight for private matter in school ... What!?"

Hastily running steps sunddenly stop.

Her eyes widened, looking dazed at pile of rubble that was Kamito's home.

Black smokes slowly rise from the charred rubble.

"This is ...... What on earth is this?!"

Ellis questions Kamito, her voice charged with fury.

She draws the sword that hangs at her waist, pointing to the throat of Kamito.

"You, you hate the house that I made! Is that it? Is this your protest?!"

"No ... there is absolutely no such thing! This is because - "

Kamito quickly explained.

"It was this stupid dog who blow it up to dust."

"Before that, this pitiful chest lit it on fire!"

Heard the voices from behind, Alice turned around.

Claire and Rinslet, put their fingers at each other in accusation.

"... That's how it was. It was your work, just like always."

Ellis sighes with an expression that says "I understood".

"Knight commander, your greeting is more enthusiastic that the usual."

"It is the usual greeting, isn't it? Problematic students of the raven class?" Alice looks sharply at Rinslet.

Soon, the the girls from the Knight brigade who were following Ellis finally catch up.

A girl with tea colored hair tied in braids, and another girl with black hair in a tomboy style.

As soon as they see Claire and Rinslet, the two girls put on expressions like they have biten some bitter worm."

"... Hell cat Claire! And Ice Wolf Rinslet!"

"What did they do again this time, these guys from the lowly raven class?"

The eyes of the girls plainly float a contemptuous look.

"... What did you say?"

"What did you utter just now?"

Claire and Rinslet glare at the two girls at the same time.

But the girls completely ignor them focus their eyes Kamito.

"Are you that newly transferred male Seirei-Tsukai?"

"Oh, not bad. Very handsome."

The girl with braids looked at Kamito up and down like evaluating his price.

The girl's sight make Kamito to shrink away in discomfort.

"Wait, this guy is my slave spirit that I caught!"

"I tamed Kamito Kazahaya: he is my servant!"

Claire and Rinslet declares arbitrarily of their ownership of Kamito at the same time.

The knight girl with braids snuffs with disdain, said: "Alas, because noboday wants to form a team with you, you use your sex appeals to seduce the transfer student. Such a fitting style for a countryside noble."

"You dare to call me a countryside noble!"

Rinslet's face suddenly turns livid.

It appears that the girl stepped on the mines should not be stepped on.

"That is it. Laurenfrost family has a only big-name only, it's really just a country bumpkin."

"You ... you ... you ...!"

"My, My lady. Please calm down -"

"Fu, fufu, fu, ... Carol, I am quite calm. "

Rinslet reveal a bright smile ... although she tries to be lady like, her face is still quite scary.

Another girl knight turned to Claire, and scorns: "As for Claire Rouge, although she is a noble, but isn't she the sister of the a traitor? Really, why did the academy accepts this person for admission---"

At that instant, Claire suddenly lashes at the ground with the whip.

"- shut up. Or I'll make you into charcoal cinders."

Claire snarls with suppressed voice, her voice trembling, her red eyes quietly burning with anger.

(... Claire is the sister of a traitor?)

God man frowned.

(... what on earth is the meaning of this?)

The two girls feel the sudden change of atmosphere and fall silent.

"You went too far." Ellis chided the two, then turned to Claire.

She clears her throat and said: "In short, I will report this instant to the knight headquaters. The charge will be to use spirit to start a small fire and and cause property damage . We'll notice you the specifics of the punishment in time. Please refrain from such stupid things again. We are busy, you know?"

"Let's go." Alice says and is about to lead the other two away.

However, from behind comes a voice

"Hold on! Ellis Fahrengart, are you trying to run away?"

"What?"

Ellis stops, turns back to Claire who called out her.

"What did you say just now?"

The calm tone of voice is full of anger. Alice's hand is on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

"Oh, you heard it? I did not expect the Sylpheed Knights are cowards."

"Claire Rouge, Do you think I'll just let it go if someone insults the Sylpheed knights?"

Alice unsheath her sword. The other two draw their sword at the same time.

"I'll return that line intact back to you. You may insult me as you please, but I will not forgive anyone who insults my sister."

Claire strikes the ground with her whip.

"I request a dual, Ellis Fahrengart, with the other two as well."

"Let me join as well, Claire Rouge. It is the Laurenfrost family's injunction to take revenge at those dare to smear the family name of Laurenfrost."

Rinslet ruffles her hair, and shows an undaunted smile.

At this point Alice points the tip of her sword toward these two.

"Well, it will stain the name of the Sylpheed Knights if we are accused of running away. I will accept the request for a duel. I can't stand the mess of your raven class any longer."

"Hey, isn't it prohibited to fight for private matters? "

At such a precarious intense moment, Kamito instinctively speaks out.

"It is forbidden to fight for private matters within school ground. Anyway, I have no intention to do it here. "

"What do you mean?"

Ignoring Kamito who is tilting his head, Ellis turns to Claire.

"The time will be 2am tonight, in front of the <door>. I'll leave it to you to decide the format."

"...One-on-one is too much trouble. How about we fight as teams of three."

"That will do." Alice nods and puts away the sword, then turns around and leaves.

Claire glares at the back of the knights and cursed viciously:

"Well I will let you regret this, especially that short haired girl. I'll definitely give her a sound beating!"

"Such a good opportunity. I have disliked the bunch from the Knight brigade since long ago."

"Rinslet, Try not to be a burden."

"After destroying the hut, now you are on a duel. Please take mercy on me." Kamito sighs deeply. Then he suddenly he realized.

Battle as a team of three. So, who will be the extra person?

"As it turns out, so -"

Claire place one hand on her waist, and points a fingure at Kamito.

"it is time to show us your strength, my slave spirit! "

"Ahhh... I knew this is how it would be..."

In front of rubble heap that was his former home , Kamito reluctantly drops his shoulder.

end of chapter 4

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