Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume1 Chapter4

Chapter 4 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.

[to be continued]