Steam swirled in the vast bathhouse of the sanctuary, enveloping the girls as they lounged in the warm water, leaning against the pool's edge with eyes closed, savoring the moment.
"Oh, this is divine." Rinslet sighed. "This bath is twice the size of the one at my estate."
As a noble, Rinslet was accustomed to luxury, but even her family's grand bath paled compared to this. The Spirit Kings' domain clearly prioritized indulgence.
"After a busy day, a delicious dinner, a good night's sleep, and now a hot bath, this Blade Dance has been pure bliss." Ellis said.
"I hope the next one's just as enjoyable." Fianna added.
"Hmph, you're all basking in this luxury thanks to me." Rinslet boasted, tossing her hair.
"Rinslet, what does this have to do with you? It's Lord Altair's power that carried us." Claire shot back.
The team was used to Rinslet's bragging, but they couldn't resist poking fun. Letting her ego swell too much would send her soaring to the stars.
"Lord Altair is my contracted spirit, and my husband." Rinslet countered. "We're one and the same. Got a problem with that?"
"Tch, always the same excuse." Claire muttered, rolling her eyes.
"What can we do? She's not wrong." Fianna said with a wry smile, shaking her head.
"She's got a point." Ellis agreed. "We won the Blade Dance so easily because of Lord Altair. Kamito and we are strong, confident we could've beaten anyone for the title, but it wouldn't have been this effortless. Especially with your sister in the tournament, Claire."
"My sister…" Claire's mood darkened at the mention of Rubia.
Rubia hadn't died. After Altair crushed her and destroyed Levatin, she collapsed from divine energy depletion. Altair brought her back to the team, and they took her with them when leaving Megidoa. Claire wanted answers about why Rubia betrayed the Fire Spirit King, so they kept her close. From Rubia, Claire learned the truth.
Rubia was now detained in the team's dormitory, guarded by the Divine Ritual Institute's maidens. As a fugitive wanted by the Fire Spirit King, her confinement was standard. Her fate depended on Volcanus's judgment.
Rubia was an enigma. The last character to leave Altair so baffled was a tragic older sibling who'd slaughtered their family, sparing only their younger brother. Rubia's story was eerily similar.
When the Fire Spirit King demanded Claire, Rubia's beloved sister, she realized Volcanus had lost his sanity. She rebelled, stealing the sealed Levatin, causing her family's fall from the four great houses. Her parents were imprisoned, and Claire was reduced to a commoner.
All for Claire's sake. Rubia aimed to gather power, kill the Fire Spirit King, and even destroy all Spirit Kings to create a world free of their influence, ensuring Claire's safety from their grasp.
To protect Claire further, Rubia orchestrated her meeting with Kamito, the Demon King, guiding Claire to contract with him as the Dark Elemental Princess under Restia. This alliance secured Claire's safety.
What in the world? Altair thought, reeling from Rubia's revelations. Seriously? How did you come up with such a wild plan? Are you some kind of love-obsessed mastermind? Your character's a mashup of too many tropes!
"Claire, we've won the Blade Dance." Rinslet said, comforting her friend. "There's hope for Rubia. The Spirit King's anger can be quelled with a wish."
"And you know about the Spirit Kings, don't you?" Rinslet added.
The team was aware of the Spirit Kings' corruption by the Otherworldly Darkness, as Altair had explained. By his logic, they shouldn't have joined the Blade Dance, but he insisted they could, and promised to fulfill their wishes himself.
"Lord Altair will make our dreams come true." Rinslet said confidently, recalling his vow when they contracted. Whether her own wish or Claire's, Altair would see it through.
"Yeah." Claire nodded, trusting in Altair's earth-shattering power.
Sensing the heavy mood, Fianna decided to lighten things up. She glanced at Rinslet with a mischievous glint.
"So, Rinslet, have you and Lord Altair… you know, done it?"
"What?" Rinslet blinked, confused.
Fianna grinned slyly, raising her hands from the water. She formed a circle with her left thumb and forefinger, then slid her right index finger through it.
Instantly, the girls' faces flushed, they got it.
"N-no way! That kind of thing… I'm an elementalist! Only pure maidens can be elementalists!" Rinslet stammered, her cheeks burning.
"Oh, so you haven't." Fianna teased, her smile widening.
"Rinslet, you don't need to pull the 'pure maiden' card." Fianna continued. "Your spirits are Fenrir and Lord Altair. Do you really think Altair would ditch you for not being 'pure' after… you know?"
"That… that's…" Rinslet faltered.
"You don't have no idea how to do it, do you?" Fianna pressed. "That won't do. As a wife, you've got to know how to please your husband, especially a high-ranking spirit like Lord Altair. As his contractor, you need to step up, or he might be disappointed."
"I-I know that! I'll learn!" Rinslet huffed, defensive.
"Want me to teach you?" Fianna offered, leaning closer.
"I trained at the Divine Ritual Institute." She whispered. "They teach maidens how to please spirits. I didn't stay long, but I picked up plenty of tricks."
Rinslet, still blushing, glanced at Fianna and leaned in, murmuring, "Go on… tell me."
Claire and Ellis, equally red-faced, scooted closer, ears perked, eager to hear.
Fianna's lips curled into a smirk as she began sharing her knowledge. Soon, the bathhouse echoed with the girls' gasps and giggles, their voices filled with shock and delight.
***
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