"When you eliminate every other possibility, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
— Sherlock Hols, Moriarty the Patriot
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Fenrir, enveloped in a chilling aura, lunged at Claire with a growl.
"Who are you calling flat-chested?! Scarlet, co out and show her what you're made of!" Claire shouted, cracking her whip.
Scarlet, the fiery cat spirit, materialized and pounced on Fenrir.
Roy watched their antics with amusent, his arms crossed.
It was more of a playful scuffle than a real fight. Neither of them seed intent on seriously harming the other.
Although Scarlet was powerful, Claire couldn't utilize her full strength.
And Rinslet's Fenrir, having been freed from the Vorpal Bunny, had regained so of its power.
They were roughly equal in strength now.
Suddenly...
"What are you doing?!"
A group of girls approached them.
Leading the group was Ellis Fahrengart, the captain of the Sylphid Knights, clad in silver armor and sporting a blue ponytail.
She was responsible for maintaining order within the academy.
Two other girls in similar attire followed behind her.
Seeing Ellis, Claire and Rinslet stopped their playful fight, their expressions turning sour.
It seed they weren't fond of the Sylphid Knights.
"Didn't I say that private duels are forbidden within the academy? And... you're a man!" Ellis exclaid, noticing Roy's presence.
She drew her sword and pointed it at him.
"Why are you in the girls' dormitory area?" she demanded.
Before Roy could answer...
"I brought him here. What about it?" Claire and Rinslet declared in unison.
They glared at each other, then turned away with a huff.
"So it's your doing!" Ellis sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She found those two troubleso.
"Knight Captain, that's a rather rude way to greet soone," Rinslet retorted, annoyed by Ellis's attitude.
"You two are always causing trouble. Am I wrong? Problem students of the Raven Class," Ellis shot back.
Just then, the other Sylphid Knights arrived.
"Claire Rouge... and Rinslet Laurenfrost..." one of the Knights, a girl with short black hair, said with a frown.
Another Knight, a girl with brown braided hair, sneered. "Lowly Ravens, what have you done this ti?"
"What did you say?"
"You want to repeat that?"
Claire and Rinslet glared at the two Knights.
But the Knights ignored them, their attention focused on Roy.
"You must be the male Elental Spirit Contractor the Headmaster personally welcod."
"Well, well, he's quite handso." The girl with braided hair appraised Roy with a suggestive look.
"What do you want?" Claire and Rinslet demanded, sensing her ill intentions.
"Hmph! Country bumpkins will be country bumpkins. Unable to find teammates, they resort to seducing transfer students. How low-class," the girl scoffed.
"How dare you call a country bumpkin?!" Rinslet fud.
Roy also frowned. This girl was quite rude.
"The Laurenfrost family is all bark and no bite. Just a bunch of hillbillies," the girl continued her taunts.
"W... w... hahaha..." Rinslet's anger turned into a chilling smile.
Although she still maintained her noble deanor, an air of nace surrounded her.
The black-haired Knight turned to Claire.
"Claire Rouge, you're not even a true noble. Just the sister of a traitor."
"Honestly, why does the academy even allow soone like you to enroll?"
"Shut up, or I'll turn you into charcoal!" Claire snapped, her voice trembling with barely suppressed rage.
She glanced at Roy, worried about his reaction to learning that she was the younger sister of the infamous Calamity Queen.
Seeing his neutral expression, she relaxed slightly.
The two Knights, realizing they had truly angered Claire and Rinslet, fell silent.
"That's enough, you two," Ellis scolded them, then turned to Claire and Rinslet. "Private duels are forbidden in the academy. Don't do anything foolish like this again. And take this man away from the girls' dormitory. Understood?"
With that, she turned to leave with the other two Knights.
...
...
"Hold it right there, Ellis Fahrengart! Are you running away?" Claire's voice rang out.
"What did you say?" Ellis stopped and turned around.
Claire's voice was calm, but her anger was evident. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.
"You heard . So the Sylphid Knights are all cowards, huh?" Claire sneered.
"Claire Rouge, I won't tolerate anyone who insults the Sylphid Knights," Ellis declared, drawing her sword and pointing it at Claire and Rinslet.
The other two Knights also drew their swords.
"I'll return those words to you. Insult all you want, but I won't allow anyone to insult my sister!"
"Ellis Fahrengart, I challenge you to a duel!" Claire cracked her whip, her voice filled with determination.
"I'll duel them too! How dare they insult the Laurenfrost family?! I'll teach them a lesson!" Rinslet added fearlessly.
"Accusing us of running away? That's an insult to the Sylphid Knights."
"I accept your challenge. Honestly, I've had enough of you Ravens and your unruly behavior."
As a Knight, Ellis valued honor and couldn't back down from a challenge.
"We'll et at the front gate tonight at midnight. You decide the format," she declared.
"A one-on-one duel is troubleso. How about a three-versus-three?" Claire suggested, glancing at Roy.
"Fine." Ellis sheathed her sword and nodded in agreent.
She then turned and left with the other Knights.
"Hmph! I'll make them regret this! Especially that girl with the short hair. I'll teach her so manners!" Claire fud, glaring at their retreating figures.
"This is a good chance to put those arrogant Knights in their place. I've had enough of them too," Rinslet agreed.
"Don't drag down, Rinslet!"
"Oh please, you should be the one worried about holding back."
The two girls started bickering again.
Roy sighed.
He already had Saya and Mine constantly arguing at ho. Adding Claire and Rinslet to the mix would make things even more chaotic.
...
...
"Roy, you have to help !" Claire pleaded, abandoning her argunt with Rinslet and approaching Roy with puppy-dog eyes.
"How am I supposed to help you?" Roy asked, amused.
"Join my team, Scarlet!" Claire exclaid.
"Hmph! Stray cat, Roy should join my team!" Rinslet retorted, clinging to Roy's arm.
"Get away from , you Chihuahua! I asked him first!"
"You're the stray cat!"
They started arguing again.
Roy sighed. "Claire, why do you want on your team?" he asked, interrupting their bickering.
The two girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
"Because I want to win the Blade Dance in two months!" Claire declared.
Then, rembering the Knight's earlier insult, she hesitated.
"And... I want to see soone," she continued, taking out a small necklace with a silver locket.
A red gem was embedded in the locket.
"I'm actually the second daughter of the Elstein family," she revealed.
The Elstein ducal family had served the royal family of the Ordesia Empire for generations.
They were a powerful and influential family, known for producing many talented individuals.
Several of the five Elental Princesses, the highest-ranking Elental Spirit Contractors who served the Elental Lords, were from this family.
Or rather, they were from this family.
Four years ago, everything had changed.
Rubia Elstein.
That na had brought unprecedented disaster to the Ordesia Empire. She was known as the Calamity Queen.
Like Claire, she had fiery red hair.
"That's right. Rubia Elstein, the Calamity Queen, is my older sister," Claire confird, looking at Roy with a serious expression.
"And?" Roy asked, waiting for her to continue.
"Aren't you... disgusted by ?" Claire asked, searching his eyes.
She was surprised to find no change in his expression. He was still smiling calmly.
"Well, I'm not disgusted by you," Roy replied with a nod.
Claire's eyes lit up with relief.
But Roy knew the truth was far more complicated than Claire realized.
Rubia had beco the Fla Princess at the young age of fifteen.
She had been an idol to Claire, Fianna, and many other young Elental Spirit Contractors.
But one day, four years ago, everything changed.
The Fire Elental Lord had demanded the "True Fla" of the Elstein family, which resided within Claire.
This had triggered the distrust Rubia had always harbored towards the Elental Lords.
She infiltrated the sanctuary where the Elental Lords resided and discovered a hidden secret.
The Fire Elental Lord had been corrupted by the True Darkness and had lost his mind.
Rubia decided to betray the Elental Lords. She stole the strongest Fla Spirit, the God-Slaying Flas.
As a result, her holand, the Elstein territory, and much of the Ordesia Empire were incinerated by the enraged Fire Elental Lord.
Roy suspected that the Fire Elental Lord wasn't after Claire's life.
He was after the True Fire that resided within her.
Yes, the true elent that the Elental Lords craved.
The True Darkness had been claid by Ren Ashdoll, the Dark Elental Lord.
And the True Fire had been stolen by the Spirit Contractors, its whereabouts unknown.
The Spirit Contractors were the ancestors of humans.
Roy didn't know how they had used the True Fire.
But sohow, the True Fire had been passed down through generations and had awakened within Claire.
The Elstein family's flas originated from this True Fire.
And the flas that Claire wielded in the original story, capable of burning other flas, were likely a part of the True Fire.
Rubia's flas, which defied the laws of the world and could freeze other flas, were also likely a part of the True Fire.
But they weren't as powerful as Claire's.
Rinslet finally understood why Claire was called Claire Rouge instead of Claire Elstein.
It was because of her sister, Rubia Elstein, who had betrayed the Fire Elental Lord.
The Empire had stripped the Elstein family of their titles and territory.
Her parents had been put on trial and imprisoned.
And Claire had been allowed to study at Areishia Spirit Academy only after losing her family na.
Rinslet felt a pang of sympathy for Claire.
"Hey, what's with that look?" Claire glared at her, annoyed by her pitying gaze.
Rinslet didn't argue with her.
"Well... I'll accept your request," Roy said, agreeing to join Claire's team.
"Yay!" Claire was overjoyed.
She had witnessed Roy's strength firsthand. With him on her team, she could definitely win the Blade Dance.
"But..."
"But what?" Claire's excitent turned into apprehension.
"But you'll have to work hard. I won't interfere unless it's absolutely necessary," Roy explained.
Claire was relieved.
"No problem!"
"Waaah, Roy, why won't you join my team?" Rinslet wailed dramatically, pretending to cry.
She was upset that he had chosen Claire over her.
"Um... Rinslet, do you want to join our team too?" Roy asked awkwardly.
"Sure!" Rinslet readily agreed.
"Hey, I'm the leader of Team Scarlet! But... since it's Roy's invitation, I'll let you join," Claire declared, trying to maintain her pride.
"Hmph! I'm not joining your team for you, stray cat. It's only because Roy invited ," Rinslet retorted with a sneer.
"You Chihuahua! Do you want to fight?"
"I'm not afraid of you!"
Roy sighed as they started bickering again. He gently patted their heads.
"Alright, that's enough. We should focus on the upcoming duel with the Sylphid Knights."
Claire and Rinslet blushed and stopped arguing.
Claire then invited Roy to rest in her room.
Since they had a duel with the Sylphid Knights at midnight, Roy accepted her offer.
Rinslet also joined them, claiming that she couldn't let them be alone together.
Then, the two girls fell asleep.
'They trust way too much,' Roy thought with a sigh, sipping his tea as he watched over them.
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