After their celebratory feast, Rinslet's team parted ways, returning to their families. With no immediate need to return to Areishia Academy, they planned to share their triumphs with loved ones.
Claire, now reclaiming her name as Claire Elstein, headed to her family's restored lands with her parents and Rubia. Thanks to Altair's decree, their territory was theirs again. She dragged Kamito along, too. Though she'd initially approached him with ulterior motives, their daily banter, especially vying for him with Ellis and Fianna, had sparked genuine affection.
Ellis and Fianna went their separate ways. Fianna, a royal princess once forsaken for her inability to summon spirits, had regained her powers and status. Ellis returned home, proudly championing her family's honor.
But the greatest victor was Rinslet.
The Laurenfrost estate, nestled in the icy expanse of Wintermute's northern plains, was a realm of perpetual snow and frost-laden forests. Rinslet brought her new husband, Altair, to her family's stronghold. Her parents welcomed him with open arms, thrilled by his strength as a supposed dragon spirit. They didn't know he was the Fire Spirit King, a secret Rinslet and Altair kept, a private thrill. Tales of human-spirit romances weren't unheard of, and Altair's power impressed them immensely.
To Altair's relief, Rinslet's parents showed none of the sternness he'd feared from in-laws, their warmth disarming his nerves.
After their warm reception, Altair and Rinslet rested in Wintermute for the night. Rinslet, true to her word, bit him over a dozen times, determined to leave her mark. In their final playful tussle, she tapped their contract to borrow his dragonized power, etching a lasting toothmark on his shoulder, a mirror to the mark he'd left on her during his darkened state.
The next day, Rinslet led Altair to Icebloom Forest, where her sister, Judia Laurenfrost, lay sealed in a massive ice block within a vast pool, a ten-meter-high prison crafted by the Water Spirit King.
Standing before the seal, Altair used his Spirit King connection to summon Iseria Seaward. The previous night, after his intimate moment with Rinslet, he'd returned to the audience hall and used Est to purge the Otherworldly Darkness from Iseria. The darkness had no hold over him.
Iseria, freed, recognized Altair's dominance instantly. Knowing he'd devoured Volcanus and shrugged off the darkness, she surrendered, confessing she was the weakest of the Spirit Kings. Outnumbered by male peers and coerced into their schemes, she pleaded her case with theatrical despair.
Amused by her groveling, Altair spared her, ordering her to await his summons and obey. Iseria, eager to please, vowed loyalty.
When Iseria appeared, she explained Judia's sealing was unintentional, a mishap. Before Altair, she dispelled the ice, and Altair used Est to cleanse the lingering darkness from Judia's body.
To atone for her actions and thank Altair for her liberation, Iseria named Judia her Water Elemental Princess, granting her a contract to wield Iseria's powers.
The Laurenfrost family now boasted two daughters bound to Spirit Kings: Rinslet to the Fire Spirit King, Judia to the Water Spirit King. Only their youngest sister lacked such a bond.
Returning to Wintermute with the freed Judia, the Laurenfrosts rejoiced, launching a grand celebration. Per northern tradition, the feast brimmed with potent spirits, a custom to ward off the cold. Rinslet, who occasionally sipped at the academy, joined in.
Altair's deicidal physique rendered him immune to alcohol, and their contract extended this to Rinslet. Delighted, she outdrank her entire family, leaving them sprawled in defeat. Giddy, she pulled Altair to her private bath in her chambers, where they soaked together, their intimacy reigniting.
Since crossing worlds, Altair had taken several wives, but his timidity kept him restrained, limiting himself to kisses and embraces with Hestia and Saeko. A keyboard warrior by nature, boldness in love eluded him.
But his darkening state had unleashed his desires, starting with Rinslet. That first act, though driven by corruption, was still him, not a separate will. The thrill awakened a new side, giving him the courage to embrace his passions.
Rinslet, deeply in love, welcomed his advances. Each time, she bit his shoulder, deepening her mark to counter his rapid healing. To keep it permanent, she'd have to reinforce it often.
In the days that followed, with no rush to return to the academy, Altair stayed by Rinslet's side. They spent time with her family, particularly Judia, who needed to adjust after years sealed away. Rinslet, as the eldest sister, guided her through the changed world, with Altair ever-present, basking in the affection of his two younger sisters-in-law, who called him "Onii-chan" with endearing enthusiasm.
After two weeks in Wintermute, the time came to return to Areishia Academy. Bidding farewell to her parents and sisters, Rinslet boarded an airship with Altair.
***
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