<h4>Volume 4, Chapter 4 - Floating Ind</h4>
Part 1
A few hours after the annihtion spirit''s attack.
The Belphal-ss flying ship, repaired by the engineering team,nded in the sacrednd of the Wind Elemental Lord.
"Ah, I can see the ind!"
On the deck, Rinslet seemed to be in a good mood and pointed at the ind.
The pure and high-spirited figure of this young highborndy was cute.
"Do-Don''t say it so loudly. It''s embarrassing."
ire whispered that in a small voice while poking Rinslet''s elbow.
"Oh my, to want me to be quiet, are you jealous?"
"You give off a bad impression is what I''m saying."
Kamito watched over them with sidelong nces while he got to the side of the ship.
"So that''s the sacrednd......"
Between the thick clouds and surrounded by a steep mountain range was a floating ind.
Ragna Ys – even within Astral Zero, it was one of the most important of the sacrednds.
"Restia is there......"
Kamito gripped his leather gloved left hand.
The flying ship quietly advanced towards the floating ind''s port.
Part 2
Past noon. A little after the appointed time, the flying ship docked at Ragna Ys'' harbor.
Upon seeing the battered condition of the flying ship, all the ship mechanics held their heads.
They transferred at the port into the Divine Ritual Institute''s prepared horse-drawn carriages.
Because horse-drawn carriages were meant for four people, it was a little tight with six. Est went as a sword but that only freed up one space.
During the horse-drawn carriage''s bumpy ride, he had felt Rinslet''s breasts. Kamito quickly separated himself from her but it was really tight.
"Ka-Kamito-san......you''re perverted."
"S-Sorry, it was unavoidable."
"Well, I understand that but......"
Rinslet sulked.
But there was no reproachful look in that face.
By the way, on the opposite side, ire–
"......Whatever, anyway, my breasts won''t shake......"
For some reason, she was muttering to herself with teary eyes.
The horse-drawn carriage continued to the opening ceremony''s castle.
While pointing at various things outside the window, ire acted as a guide.
"The floating ind Ragna Ys is one of the five sacrednds, the sacrednd of the Wind Elemental Lord. The de Dance was held here 74 years ago."
By the way, the de Dance three years ago had been held in the Fire Elemental Lord''s territory at Fire Mountain city. There was no rule as to where the de Dance would be held as it was decided by oracles received by the Queens.
"And the castle in the center is a historic ruin from a mystical age."
"So that''s where we''re lodging, huh?"
"Yes, it is an unequaled opportunity. Normally the Divine Ritual Institute would never allow anyone except princess maidens to enter. Which reminds me, have you been there before, Fianna?"
"Yes, but just once. I normally remained at the Fire Elemental Lord''s shrine."
"......The Elemental Lord''s true shrine. I''m a little nervous."
Ellis whispered that with a nervous expression.
There were no signs of people on the paved road.
The ones invited to the opening ceremony were the Five Great Elemental Lords and the Queens that serve them, the elementalist representatives and the uppercrust nobility only. The entrance of others was not permitted and could provoke the beginning of a real war.
"Are the king and queen of the Empire noting?"
"......It seems. But that doesn''t concern me."
Fianna shrugged and Kamito–
"......S-Sorry."
Fianna had been named the “Lost Queen” after she lost her spirit contracting powers despite being a Queen candidate and consequently was shunned by the king and queen.
Speaking about the king and queen to her may have been insensitive of him.
"I don''t mind. To begin with, our rtionship wasn''t that good and not returning to the Divine Ritual Institute almost got me disowned. I have no intention of clinging to my title as the second princess and even if I''m removed from the monarchy line–"
And then Fianna stopped talking.
ire''s parents had been imprisoned and she was chasing her rebel sister who had disappeared.
"I don''t mind."
ire flicked her red twintails up and turned to Rinslet.
"Is anybodying from Rinslet or Ellis'' households to watch?"
"Yes. My father and younger sister will being."
"One of the de Dance''s objective is to gather superior talent. The Fahrengart family traditionally adopts those excelling in martial ability."
Rinslet and Ellis nodded at the same time. Come to think of it, Ellis'' step-sister, Velsaria Eva, was adopted, thought Kamito.
"Th-That''s why, that is, if you disy your true power before them, they might be wi-willing to ept you as an adopted child......"
"......?"
For some reason, Ellis was muttering unintelligibly with a red face.
"Will Kamito''s family being?"
"Eh?"
At ire''s words–
Kamito asked without thinking.
"......My family?"
With the way the conversation was going, it was obvious that he would be asked that.
But Kamito suddenly couldn''t manage to reply.
Family – the one word Kamito was most separate from.
"You, you really don''t talk about your family. I think I heard your parents were from the empire?"
"Y-Yeah......"
He nodded with ambiguity. In the academy application that Greyworth had prepared, Kamito was the adopted son of a lower-ss family of nobles. ire had believed that.
Of course, that family of nobles didn''t really exist. It was just a family created on paper.
Kamito had no known family name. Any vague memories he had of his parents when he was young had been overwritten with the experiences at the Instructional School.
The one who had been by the young Kamito''s side was the darkness spirit – only Restia.
Possibly–
(I wonder if I could call them family......)
Kamito recalled the other girls at the facility.
The other two girls in his tactical team at the Instructional School.
They didn''t know each others'' real names and it wasn''t a rtionship betweenrades.
The expert intelligence elementalist, Lily me.
And that girl that was attached to him and called him nii-sama.
(......The militarized spirit elementalist, Muir Alenstarl.)
Four years ago. Ever since the facility had been destroyed in the me spirit''s attack, Kamito had lost track of where she was. He had heard the greater half of the orphans there were taken in for protection by the Empire, but there were sure to be others like Jio Inzagi who had used the chaos of the institution''s destruction to escape.
He wondered if his remembering them was because of that dream he had–
"......? What''s wrong, to make you have such a grim face?"
"Nothing, just thinking about the past."
Kamito averted his eyes from the inquiring ire and looked out the window.
They were approaching the castle on the mountain.
Part 3
The horse-drawn carriage stopped before arge gate made of stone.
The castle at the top of the slightly inclined mountain was prepared with unparalleled beauty and grandeur.
It was surrounded by a forest and had ake a short distance away.
Other teams also arrived and stopped their horse-drawn carriages before the gate.
(......It''s a good thing we haven''t run into that Dragon Princess.)
Relieved, he descended from the horse-drawn carriage and,
"We have been awaiting your arrival, princess maidens who havee to entertain the Elemental Lords."
Inside the gate, a group of girls in priestess garb greeted them.
"They are the apprentices of the Divine Ritual Institute. My juniors."
Fianna whispered into his ear.
"While you are staying here, we will be in your care for instruction in femininity."
When the princess maidens bowed, Kamito stole a nce of their bare breasts underneath the garment and his heart throbbed.
Looking closely, the ceremonial garments they were wearing were equivalent to being half-naked.
The opening above the breasts wasrge and at the hem of skirts, a slight amount of youthful skin was peeking out.
Even though the clothes were to inspire purity, they were strangely erotic.
Maybe if ire and the others wore those clothes......he suddenly thought of that.
"Hm? Kamito, what are you looking at?"
He was asked that by ire–
"Ahh, I was just thinking that if you guys wore those clothes, it''d really suit you–"
"Wha!?"
......Kamito said his thoughts out loud without thinking.
(......Uwa, I messed up!)
"Wh-wh-wh-what are you sa-sa-sa-saying, you perverted ve spirit!"
ire''s face red red and she beat her whip against the ground.
"Ka-Kamito-san likes those kinds of things, it seems......"
"Wh-What do you think the sacred garments are!"
"I wonder if I still have my sacred garments from when I was in the Divine Ritual Institute?"
The three youngdies whispered amongst themselves.
"So, Kamito-sama, whose figure did you imagine?"
"......!?"
The smiling Carol asked and Kamito averted his eyes.
Part 4
Entering the castle, they arrived at arge entry hall.
Beautiful arches with a high ceiling. A carpet was spread on the ground through a pired corridor up to a door that led further in.
The lighting was provided not bymps or spirit stones, but by small floating light spirits.
Even if it was called a relic of the mythical age, several thousand years of repeated reconstruction and remodeling had left few traces of things from that time long ago. The sole remaining traces were sculptures hidden by stone pirs.
Along the pired corridor''s walls were colorful illustrations. These were at best the remnants of a few hundred years and the motifs were Queens that had left their name in history as well as de Dance winners.
"Hm?"
Kamito stopped before arge set of pictures.
Depicted there was the winner of the de Dance from three years ago.
The strongest de dancer – Ren Ashbell.
Wrapped in the strange garments of a foreign country, with an ominous demonic de of darkness in her left hand.
That de in her left hand was the darkness spirit, Restia''s elemental waffe, Vorpal Sword.
Bewitching ck hair. Pearly white cheeks.
That girl''s profile, drawn with a delicate touch, viewed as a goal, was very beautiful.
"......This is overdone. The work of a painter without a discerning eye."
Kamito muttered that and Ellis who had walked around turned towards him.
"It''s you whocks appreciation. Her beauty wasn''t like that."
"That''s right. Even though we''re the same gender, she made my heart throb."
ire also nodded in agreement.
"Ah–, I see......"
Kamito made a sour expression and groaned.
"Fufu, aren''t you d, Kamito-kun."
"You......"
Fianna teasinglyughed and looked at Kamito through half-opened eyes.
Following the princess maidens through therge castle, they finally arrived at their rooms.
"Empire representatives Team Scarlet, your room is over here. If you would like to eat, use something or anything else, please do not hesitate to do so."
"Wait a second, am I in the same room?"
Kamito quickly asked the princess maiden and,
"Th-th-th-there''s no way, what are you thinking!"
ire refuted it with a panicked expression.
"Y-Yeah, as expected, staying in the same room as a gentleman is difficult."
Said Ellis as she cleared her throat.
"That''s right, as expected......right."
"B-But, it can''t be helped if there are no open rooms, right?"
Fianna and Rinslet also exchanged nervous nces.
"......? Of course, we have prepared a separate room for the gentleman."
To the guiding princess maiden''s words,
"Th-That''s right, of course!"
"Y-Yes, it is an obvious requirement!"
The youngdies said in high-pitched voices.
"Fufu, that''s a pity."
"Like that would happen. Having just a lone male in a room of girls, what kind of torture is that?"
Kamito said that to theughing and smiling Carol with half-opened eyes.
"Then, I''ll be going straight to bed. See youter."
"Kamito, wait a moment."
His cor was grabbed as he turned to head for his room.
"What?"
"We are going to purify ourselves now."
"Purify?"
Purification meant the act of washing one''s body with water in a purifying ceremony. Maidens that were not pure could not use spirits. For that reason, elementalists had to constantly maintain a pure mind and body.
"That''s why, that is......y-you get changed ande to theke as well!"
"Nah, I''m fine. I''ll do it aler."
Kamito shook his head in a troubled manner.
"Or rather, you don''t want me to see you in swimsuits, right?"
"Th-That is......"
ire''s cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze,
"No, not really, i-it''s not that I don''t want it......it''s fine if it''s Kamito."
"......?"
"N-Nothing!"
Unfortunately, ire''s voice had been too quiet and he couldn''t hear it well.
......He wondered what that was. Recently, ire had be rather inarticte.
"A-Anyway, we''re a team so we''ll be doing the purification together as well!"
This was amand to her ve spirit – ire said this as her red twintails stood on end.
"Th-That''s right, breaking the team''s unity isn''t good!"
"Kamito-san doesn''t have enough self-recognition as part of a team!"
"Being able to do the purification ceremony together is a sign of trust!"
The three youngdies all agreed with each other.
"No, you guys are exaggerating......"
......He wondered why they were fussing over the purification so much.
The maid Carol cleared her throat with furrowed brows.
"To be clear, thedies simply want to show Kamito their new swimsuits–"
""""Carol!""""
The collective voice of the youngdies.
"What is it, exactly......"
Kamito felt troubled–
A tug.
His cuff was being pulled.
"......Est?"
Est, who had returned to human form at some point, looked up at Kamito.
"Kamito, I want to y with Kamito at theke."
"......"
Being looked at by Est''s mysterious pupils, Kamito gulped.
(I did something bad to Est this morning so......)
It seemed like Est wasn''t mad anymore but–
He felt that he had to do something topensate her.
Kamito ced his hand on Est''s head and caressed it.
"Got it. Let''s y at theke together."
"Yes, Kamito. I''m happy."
Est nodded expressionlessly.
Kamito turned towards Est and the others.
"With that, I''ll also be doing the purification – hey, Owaa!"
""""Why are you so soft on Est!""""
Four people''s luggage flew to his face.
......It seems like we have no problems with teamwork.
Part 5
"–Here is Kamito-sama''s room."
Kamito was led down the hallway to a gloomy room the furthest in.
The room was putrid and had a gloomy air to it. In the corner were paintings and sculptures as well as other junk covered in spiderwebs.
"......Is it just me or am I the only one being treated this badly?"
......In ire and the others'' room, there had even been a firece and chandelier.
Rather than a room, this was closer to a storage room.
"The Divine Ritual Institute decided this."
The princess maiden cleared her throat.
......It seemed like she was being openly cold towards Kamito.
(......Well, it can''t be helped, I guess.)
The Divine Ritual Institute was, like the academy, far removed from the presence of men.
"Does this room not have a light?"
"Yes. Light spirits wouldn''te near this kind of gloomy room."
"I''ll open the window."
"As you wish. However, it may be rusted shut."
"......"
Kamito sighed deeply and entered the box-like room.
He had left Est at the girls'' room so he had to clean the room by himself.
(......Now that I think about it, it''s about time to eat.)
Other than the ck tea he drank on the flying ship, he had not eaten anything since that morning.
"Sorry, could I request something light to eat?"
"Kamito-sama wishes for nyotaimori? [1] I apologize but that–"
"I didn''t say that! Just something normal like a sandwich!"
"A nyotai-sandwich......wrapping yourself with breasts......?"
"......I''m begging you, please stop with the nyotai stuff."
Kamito sighed deeply at the scornful re he received from the princess maiden.
Part 6
"This kind of bold swimsuit......is it okay?"
"The knight captain''s breasts are unexpectedly quiterge......"
"Ahn – what are you doing!"
Ellis gave a cute cry at Rinslet fondling her breasts.
In the girls'' room, the youngdies were changing into swimsuits from their uniforms.
Smooth, young skin. Bewitching body lines.
They were beautiful girls of equally outstanding proportions.
In the corner was ire who felt that she had lost.
(......Wh-What, it''s not just me!)
......The slightly present chest.
With a pink tip, it was like a budding flower.
(Even though everybody else is growing properly......)
She sighed as she watched the rest of the team getting changed.
The only one it felt like she could win against was Est, but she was a spirit.
(Even Kamito wouldn''t like this kind of small chest......)
While lightly rubbing the slight bumps–
What appeared in ire''s mind was a scene from two months prior.
The time when she had first met Kamito at theke in the Spirit Forest.
The words he had said when he had seen her bathing naked.
–I have no interest towards a kid''s body, he had said.
"......!"
Remembering it, her cheeks flushed red.
Having a guy her age see her naked, that was of course her first time.
(......But thinking about it, it was only two months ago.)
Standing on one foot and slipping on her new swimsuit, ire sighed.
Only two months.
But ever since she had met Kamito, many things have happened.
The showdown with Ellis at the academy. Fighting the rampaging militarized spirit.
The cooking battle with the newly transferred Fianna. The mission at the mine.
Two weeks ago, they defeated the strongest elementalist and gathered five teammates to participate in the de Dance.
–Until she met Kamito, she was always alone.
(But I still don''t really know anything about Kamito......)
Dropping her panties onto the floor, she sank deep into thought.
Even when she had asked about his family on the horse-drawn carriage, he had avoided the question.
(It''s not like I want to pry but–)
The thing she still didn''t know about Kamito was his connection with that darkness spirit girl.
She had given ire the frenzied spirit and had been at the mine with Jio Inzagi for the purpose of unsealing the strategic-ss militarized spirit Jormungandr.
She was Kamito''s contracted spirit but nothing else was known.
Whenever a discussion about the past arose, Kamito would stay silent.
......She didn''t like that.
(At least tell your master, idiot......)
While hiding her small chest with her hands, ire pressed her lips together, displeased.
Trantion Notes
1. ↑ nyotaimori = "body sushi", is the practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the body of a woman