A few days later, "Are you ready?" Sannet asks while wearing her sparring uniform.

"Ready as I can be." Leanna answered as she put on her uniform as well: "Wait! Where's your cat's ears and tail?!" She asks.

"They are not needed for this test." Sannet answered with a serious expression: "So I got rid of them."

"But..." Leanna stammers for a moment: "I kinda like them on you." She then said with a blushing face.

"That's fine, but we should get going now." Sannet said with a shrug.

Leannanodded: "Let's get this over with." She answered with a serious expression.

"Attack me." Sannet said as she stood at her stance.

Leanna frowned and thought of the possibilities that she has. She can't use her wind power because it would just defeat the whole purpose of this test. She thought of attacking by her legs, but Sannet is definitely stronger than her. So she decided to try her fist first. She runs at full speed and punches Sannet's face with all her might. Sannet stopped the fist with one of her hands and used her free hand to counterattack Leanna's stomach. Leanna tries to struggle free, but Sannet's hand is very strong, so she can't really escape from it.

"It's not that easy to get out of this hold." Sannet said while keeping a firm grip on Leanna's body: "Do something!"

Leanna widens her eyes and nods. She remembers the move that Minka used while fighting Sannet, she grabs hold of Sannet's arm and wraps her entire body on to her arm. Causing Sannet to let go of her.

"Not bad, but you should've just continued attacking." Sannet said as she threw a kick at Leanna's face.

Leanna manages to move her head away from the incoming kick and manages to land a kick at Sannet's leg. But her leg felt numb after doing so. Sannet smiled and nodded: "That's a good reaction time, but that is not going to work for long." She said while she punched Leanna's face with her free hand.

Leanna stumbled back and spit out blood. She shook her head and stared at Sannet with anger in her eyes.

"You seem angry, why?" Sannet asks.

"I am angry because I can't win!" Leanna said as she punched the ground.

"You are angry because you are unable to do what you want to do, but you are not really angry because you are losing." Sannet answered while shaking her head: "Your anger is actually fear."

"Eh... Sannet, maybe you should go easier on Lea?" Minka said while looking at Leanna with a worried look on her face.

"I am going as easy as I can." Sannet answered: "You all have to realize that she is going to fight against Nova soon enough, and I can't be soft with her." She added.

"I know, but still..." Minka answered with a sad tone.

"Don't worry, Leanna is a very strong person." Sannet answers as she sees Leanna stand up again and in her fighting stance.

"I am ready for another round." Leanna said while narrowing her eyes.

"Alright then, come at me." Sannet said as she raised her guard.

Leanna runs towards Sannet with full speed and uses a roundhouse kick at Sannet's stomach. Sannet raised her arm to block the incoming attack, but Leanna jumped in the air and aimed a flying kick to Sannet's face. Sannet manages to block this one as well. Leanna tries to throw another kick at Sannet, but Sannet manages to grab Leanna's leg and throws her down. Leanna quickly turns around to stop herself from hitting the ground too hard. But Sannet is already upon her and throws a punch at her face. Leanna's body is knocked to the side after taking the blow.

Leanna stands up and keeps attacking Sannet with all her might, but Sannet manages to block everything that Leanna does to her.

"You have the brain for fighting but you lack the speed and strength." Sannet said as she grabbed Leanna's wrist and swung her to the side.

Leanna landed on the ground with a grunt. She shook her head and got back on her feet. She then walks towards Sannet with gritted teeth.

"Are you done?" Sannet asks.

"Just wait and see." Leanna answered with a frown.

"Are you angry now?" Sannet asks with a calm tone.

"I... I don't want to lose..." Leanna answered: "I don't want to give up... not until I win."

Sannet smiles and nods: "That's good, that's the spirit." She said: "Now, come at me." She adds with a serious expression.

Leanna felt that she was getting closer to victory, so she started running towards Sannet again. Sannet grabbed Leanna's hands and she couldn't move them.

"It's useless, your speed is still too slow." Sannet said while swinging Leanna's body to the air. She then threw her at the ground, causing Leanna to let out a scream of pain. Sannet then walked towards Leanna with her hand raised up.

Leanna closed her eyes and waited for the incoming punch.

"Don't close your eyes, fight back!" Sannet said while landing a blow to Leanna's stomach. Leanna groans in pain and tries to punch Sannet back, but she can't really move her body much.

"Get up and try again." Sannet said while standing up.

Leanna got up while gritting her teeth, she tried to punch Sannet, but Sannet dodged the incoming attacks. Leanna continues to throw a series of punches and kicks, but Sannet just keeps dodging them all. After a while, Sannet stopped moving and stared at Leanna.

"You... Why did you stop?" Leanna asks with a pained expression.

"You're out of energy, don't waste your strength." Sannet answered: "You're done for today, let's take a break." She said,

"But... I can still fight!" Leanna argued.

"Your eyes say otherwise." Sannet said while walking towards Leanna.

"My eyes? I am fine!" Leanna argues.

Sannet grabs Leanna's wrist: "It's okay, just rest." She said,

Leanna tries to struggle free, but Sannet's hand is too strong, Leanna can't escape from it.

"We will try this again tomorrow, let's get you some rest." Sannet let go of Leanna's wrist.

Leanna felt her legs give up on her and collapsed on the floor. Minka and Viola came over with some ice and a cold drink. They gently set it on Leanna's head.

"There there, you will do better tomorrow, right?" Minka asks.

"Yeah..." Leanna answered with a tired voice.

"Don't worry Lea, you are getting better." Minka said with a kind smile.

"She's right, you are doing good so far." Viola added: "It's just that your opponent is strong, but from the looks of it, she won't be too strong for you to handle."

"Yeah..." Leanna answers while keeping her eyes closed.

"Here, drink this." Minka says while offering the cold drink to Leanna.

Leanna takes it and drinks the contents of the drink. It's a fruit drink which makes Leanna's mouth feel better. She sighed in relief and put the cup down. She then walks up to the changing room to refresh herself. Sannet is currently sitting on a nearby chair.

"I know that I am not the best teacher when it comes to fighting." Sannet said while looking at Leanna: "But I want to do what is best for you."

Leanna looked at Sannet with a frown: "I know that... it's just... I want to win." She said,

"But you can't win unless you are prepared to face the opponent." Sannet answered: "Do you understand that?"

Leanna nods: "I know..." She said while looking down: "I just don't want to be a burden to you all."

"Nonsense! You're the best, Lea! I always look up to you!" Minka exclaimed with a happy smile, while patting Leanna on her back: "You will never be a burden to us." She added while grabbing Leanna's hand. Viola also nods at the back.

"Thanks guys... but I really need to work on my body strength and speed..." Leanna said with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"We will do everything we can to help you." Minka said with a smile: "I can take you for a run after you feel better!"

"Sure... maybe..." Leanna answered with a tired voice.

The next few days, Leanna trained with Sannet almost every day. During the day, she would train her physical capacities while running around the city. During the night, Sannet would train her martial arts and combat abilities. Leanna was improving a lot, but her speed is still slow compared to Sannet.

One day, Leanna came back to the guild and she found Nova and Sannet in the middle of the hall. Nova is looking at Sannet with a serious expression on her face. The two of them seem to be arguing about something.

"Sannet, you can't teach her anymore." Nova said with a stern tone: "I don't know what your intentions are, but you are getting too close to my daughter." She added while keeping a glare.

"General, I am a bit offended by your accusation." Sannet said while glaring back: "I just want the best for Leanna, I care for her more than you do."

"Oh, is that so?" Nova said with a raised eyebrow: "More than i do?" She asks with a calm voice.

"That's right." Sannet answered: "If you are not willing to treat her like your daughter, then I am." She added.

"Sannet... what did you say?" Nova asked with a serious expression.

"You heard me, General." Sannet answered while standing still.

"Do you even know what you are saying?" Nova asks while shaking her head.

"Of course I do." Sannet answered: "I am telling you that I care for Leanna more than you do. You are projecting your own bitter past to Leanna. And it is not fair." She added with a serious tone: "Leanna has a choice, you didn't."

Nova narrowed her eyes: "What... do you know?" She asks.

"You didn't tell her anything, did you?" Sannet asked while tilting her head: "You just keep her under your wing so that you can protect her."

"You are a servant of the man that committed countless atrocities. And now you are the one teaching me how to raise my daughter?" Nova said while slightly raising her eyebrow.

"I know that I am not a good person." Sannet answered while looking at Nova's eyes: "But I don't care about that anymore. I love Leanna like family, I care for her as much as I care for Minka and Viola." She added with a stern tone.

"Woah..."Leanna gasps out when she hears that, making Nova and Sannet both realize that Leanna was here during their entire conversation. She blushed in embarrassment and kept quiet.

Sannet just shook her head and smiled: "I don't care what you think of me anymore." She said: "I will continue to take care of Leanna until she is able to fight with you."

"You've changed Sannet... are you repenting for your past mistakes?" Nova asks while narrowing her eyes.

Sannet stayed quiet for a while and shook her head: "I don't know." She answered: "I just feel like I'm doing the right thing." She added.

"Why are you helping my daughter?" Nova asks with a suspicious tone.

Sannet sighed: "Because it feels right." She said with a sad smile: "It's because of me that Leanna is in this situation. I will do everything I can to help her." She added.

Nova looks at Sannet with an unreadable expression for a while, but she finally nods: "Very well then, I will let you continue being her mentor." She said while looking away: "When the day comes, you better prove to me that you are right about Leanna." She added with a stern voice. Then Nova left the adventures guild.

Leanna felt relieved and walked over to Sannet: "Are you alright? I am sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." She said while scratching her cheek.

Sannet looked at Leanna for a moment before patting her head: "I am alright, I know that Nova is not an easy opponent to handle. But you shouldn't be scared of her." She said while keeping her stoic expression.

"Um... thank you for standing up for me, I didn't know that you felt that way." Leanna said while blushing a bit.

"That's nothing." Sannet said with a shrug: "But don't tell anyone what we've discussed today, it's just between us."

Leanna nodded and the two of them went to their usual training room. The training session is normal as well, but Leanna felt happy after hearing what Sannet said about her. She really cares for Leanna like she does for Minka and Viola. This is why today, Leanna is putting in considerably more effort to fight compared to before. At the end of the session, she finally managed to land a blow on Sannet's stomach.

"You really put in more effort than usual today." Sannet said while panting: "That's good." She added with a smile.

Leanna blushed and smiled: "It's all thanks to you." She said with a shy tone.

"I am glad that I can help you." Sannet answered: "You can rest for today, I'll be going now." She said as she got up from the floor.

Leanna just nodded and lay down on the floor while trying to catch her breath. She thought that she is finally getting the hang of it, but her body is still not fully recovered yet. So she decided to take it easy for the day. After resting for a while, she went to Minka's place to have dinner with her and her family.

"Hi, Uncle Trazyn!" Leanna exclaims while walking in the front yard.

"Hello dear, come in." Trazyn answered as he walked out of the house. He looks at Leanna and smiles.

Leanna smiles back at him: "It's been a while since I last saw you." She said,

"Yeah, but I have heard plenty of stories about you." He said: "Minka told me that you are trying to get stronger?"

Leanna nods: "Yeah... I am training with Sannet right now, but I am still not good enough yet." She said with a sad tone.

"It's okay dear, just keep on trying." Trazyn answered while patting her head: "But it's good to know that you are training to get stronger, you are still quite young." He added.

"Lea!" Minka comes out of the house and hugs Leanna: "I am so glad that you are here!" She exclaims with a happy tone.

"Aw, you two are so cute when standing together. Kinda reminds me of how your moms were. You know?" Trazyn said with a smile: "Now, come in. I have made something delicious today!" He added while walking towards the house.

Leanna went inside the house, the smell of Trazyn's cooking is something that she really enjoyed. Trazyn is a very good cook, and he loves cooking for his family. The table is already prepared, so Leanna just sits there while waiting for Minka and Trazyn to finally bring out the dishes.

"So... how is it? The training, I mean." Trazyn asks.

"Well... It's tough, but I can finally hit Sannet after a few days of training." Leanna answered with a proud expression.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"Is that so, that's good to hear." Trazyn said with a nod: "This Sannet person... what do you think about her?" He asks while tilting his head.

Leanna took a second to think about it: "She's a good person, she's very strong, kind and very caring." She answered with a smile: "She has a really tough shell but she's actually a big softy. She even let Minka and I touch her fluffy tail!" She adds with a happy tone.

"Hmm... I see..." Trazyn said with a smile: "That's good to know." He added: "You are getting closer to her, so I am glad that you trust her."

Leanna blushes: "Well, yeah..." She answered while scratching her cheek.

Trazyn just smiled and decided not to ask any more questions. After finishing their meal, Leanna helps Trazyn clean the table before leaving the house.

"Bye Uncle Traz!" Leanna said as she closed the door.

"Be careful on the way home, Dear." He said with a smile.

In the central command, the inquisition sector. "An intelligent weapon...?" The girl said as she read the information on the file. She's a short girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. She is wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a blue skirt: "Sir... this can't be real... right?" She asks.

"Lieutanant Vermillion, we don't have time to check the authenticity of the information." A man with a military uniform answered: "We need to secure the weapon first." He adds.

Noel shook her head: "But sir... this is just too far-fetched." She said with a frown: "There must be some sort of catch." She added.

"If you don't believe it, then go see for yourself." The man said with a serious expression.

After some light preparation, Noel left the base and began heading to the location of where the report says. It took her about two hours to reach her destination. It is a bar where the sighting of the weapon is reported: "I can't believe this..." She stumps her feet on the floor due to frustration. Then she entered the bar with a really grumpy expression.

"How may I serve you?" The bartender asks.

"Do you have something that will knock me out for a bit?" She asks with a tired expression.

"Well... that's rather sudden." The bartender answered: "But sure, take a seat and I will serve you."

Noel nodded and sat down at the counter. After waiting for a moment, the bartender came over and gave Noel a glass with some sort of drink inside of it.

"Here you go, enjoy." The bartender said with a smile.

"Wait, I need to ask you some questions." She then takes out her inquisition seal and shows it to the bartender.

The bartender looked at the seal and nodded: "Anything I can help you with, lord inquisitor?"

"Were you bartending two days ago?" She asks while looking at the bartender's face.

"Yes, I was." The bartender answered: "But I don't remember anything unusual happening here." He added.

"You see... that was a lie." Noel looks at the bartender impatiently: "There is an intelligent weapon here, it was seen by several people in this bar."

"Intelligent... weapon?" The bartender asked while tilting his head.

"It's a weapon that can think and plan on its own, and it can also take action without having to tell anyone to do so." Noel answered: "It was here, in this bar."

"I... I don't know what to say..." The bartender answered while scratching his cheek: "If you think there's something here, then I can ask the people in the back for you."

Noel then proceeded to sips the drink for a bit. After a while, the bartender came back with a middle-aged man.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. My friend says that he saw a little girl carrying a weapon here a few days ago." The bartender said.

Noel raised an eyebrow: "A little girl? Are you sure?" She asks.

"Well... she was hiding herself most of the time, but I saw her face when she was looking at my face." The man answered: "She is a hybrid. One with cat ears and black hair."

"Why would a little girl be in a place like this?" Noel asks while looking at the bartender: "Do you have any clue about this?"

"No ma'am, she just looked lost." The bartender answered: "Like she was wandering around."

"Wondering around?" Noel narrowed her eyes: "Then would you like to explain to me the stash of monster parts that are in your kitchen's fridge?" She asks with a suspicious expression.

"Wha? What monster parts?" The bartender asks with a panicked expression.

"Look, I can keep this between us. Because personally I like meat as well. But, you need to give me more details about that little girl." She says while looking at the bartender.

The bartender then sighed and nodded: "Very well, I will tell you. That little girl carries a weapon that is like a... claymore."

Noel frowns: "A claymore... She's a wielder?" She asks: "What about the weapon itself?"

"Well... I didn't get a really good look at it, but I could say that it's a really beautiful weapon." He answered: "It has a gold frame and a purple handle."

Noel notes the details down and proceeds to leave this place. After leaving the bar, she stares at her holopad to look for some clues: "She sells monster parts to the restaurant... but who butchered them and where did she get the source of the information about the monsters?" Noel mutters while looking around the town. She then spotted the adventures guild and decided to head over there.

After a few minutes, she enters the guildhall and heads straight at the receptionist. She takes out her seal and shows it to the lady.

"Oh my, how can I help you?" The receptionist asks.

"I want to check the adventurer board." Noel said with a stern tone.

"I see, please wait a moment." The receptionist says.

After a while, the receptionist came back and gave Noel a paper: "These are the recent monster sightings and quests assigned." She said,

"Hmm..." Noel said as she started reading the details on the paper: "Have you ever seen a little girl with cat ears?" She asks.

"Yes, I have." The receptionist answered with a nod: "I think she's an adventurer."

"Where did you see her?" Noel asks while narrowing her eyes.

"Well... I saw her at the dungeon entrance a few days ago, she was accompanied by a man in a tux." The receptionist answered.

"So... he's an escort?" Noel asks while thinking about the possibilities.

"No... I think that girl was escorting the man." The receptionist said while shaking her head: "She has that blank expressionless face when talking to us."

"What's her rank?" Noel asks.

"Um... A-rank." The receptionist answered with a nervous expression,

"A rank? She's like twelve years old, is she not?" Noel asks while keeping a suspicious gaze.

The receptionist nods: "I know, but she is very talented." She answered.

Noel nodded and thanked the receptionist before leaving the guild: "So... she's a young girl with A rank adventure skill. She carries a claymore looking intelligence weapon and... she's a hybrid with cat features. All of this sounds so disconnected from each other..." She mutters with a frown.

Noel sighed and checked with the quest assigned list, she only found one member who is A rank and fit with her description: A little girl called Francessica. Or she goes by the name: Fran, in the guild. The current quest that she was assigned to is simple; To find and bring back a lost cat.

"A lost cat?" Noel sighs: "I guess I have to give it a try... after all, the overtime bonus is pretty good.." She mutters while rubbing her head: "Why do I have to deal with this..." She then began requesting information regarding local lost cats from the inquisition. Hoping that she will find that cat with Fran.

After some time, Noel finally managed to locate the cat that was lost, she saw a white cat with blue eyes walking around a street. So she decided to follow the cat for a while. But no sighting of her target yet. Noel starts wondering why it takes so long for an A rank adventure to track down a lost cat. She kept following the cat around the area for hours, until she spotted a familiar figure.

"Finally..." She mutters while hiding behind a nearby bush. She sees Fran, she's currently at a back alley. And she sees her looking at a white cat with blue eyes. The cat has a ribbon on its neck and it looks quite cute.

"C'mon, kitty cat." Fran said while trying to approach the cat: "Come here kitty..." She added.

The white cat began walking backwards. Fran just keeps approaching it and tries to talk to it.

"Kitty, please. I want to help you." She said with a calm tone: "Just come with me..." She added.

Noel just looked at Fran with a suspicious expression. She took out her weapon and decided to call out to the little girl.

"Hello there." She said while approaching Fran.

"Who are you?" Fran asks while turning around.

Noel tilted her head: "I am from the inquisition, I just wanted to ask you a few questions." She answers: "So, care to come with me for a bit?" She asks while extending her hand.

Fran looked at Noel's hand with a frown on her face. Noel frowned as well and put her hand down: "Oh? Do you not want to?" She asks.

Fran shook her head: "It's not that... I don't like people touching me." She then went back, approaching the white cat.

Noel shrugged and sighs: "I see, so you don't want to come with me." She said while looking at the white cat.

"Please... just help me catch this cat." Fran asks while extending her hand to the cat.

Noel looked at the cat for a long moment: "Sure, but on one condition." She answered.

"What is it?" Fran asked.

"You need to tell me about the weapon you're carrying." Noel answered with a serious tone.

"My weapon? But it's not that impressive..." She answered while looking down: "But if that's what you want..." Suddenly Fran throws Noel a face full of sand and grabs the cat. She then proceeds to leap on the walls and eventually runs on the roof.

"That brat!" Noel exclaimed as she shook her face. She then took out a small holopad and activated the tracking device. She then sees Fran running on the rooftops. Noel shot a grappling gun at the roof and began chasing Fran. After a while, she managed to catch up to her. She took out her pistol and shot a rubber bullet at Fran. The bullet hit the girl's back and caused her to trip on her feet. Noel landed on the roof and walked over to Fran with a stern expression.

"Where is the weapon?" She asks with a low voice.

"I don't have it with me..." Fran said while trying to stand up.

Noel suddenly feels something is flying towards her, she ducks down on the ground and a flying sword just goes over her head. She raised her head and saw the sword. The sword then goes back towards Fran.

"That's a neat toy." Noel says with a smirk: "You've got some skills kid."

"My name is Fran... not kid!" Fran exclaimed as she started attacking Noel. Fran raises the claymore like it doesn't have any weight. Noel manages to block the claymore with her gun, but Fran quickly follows with a punch to Noel's stomach. She tried to attack again, but Noel quickly kicked her away.

Noel fired a few more rubber bullets at Fran, but the little girl just kept blocking them. Suddenly, light came out from Fran's hand and a bolt of lightning shot at Noel. Noel used her grappling hook to dodge the incoming lightning bolt. She shot a rubber bullet in Fran's direction. The bullet hit Fran on her leg, causing the girl to slip down and land on the ground. Noel walked towards her and grabbed her arms.

"You are coming with me, young miss." Noel said with a stern voice.

Fran frowns and struggles for a bit.

"Now, let's go." Noel said while dragging Fran with her.

"Please... please... let me go..." Fran said as she continued to struggle, she then began chanting another spell. But Noel shut her up with her hand.

"Now now, none of that." Noel said: "Don't be so stubborn, you have plenty to explain." Suddenly the claymore flew towards Noel without Fran even using it, causing Noel to have to let Fran go to dodge the attack.

"How...?" Noel asked with wide eyes.

The sword flies back to Fran and she grabs it, then they begin taking off and Fran begins leaping on air as if she's stepping on something.

"Goddamnit...!" Noel exclaimed as she tried to keep up with Fran's speed.

Noel fired rubber bullets at Fran again, but the little girl just kept dodging them. Then Noel managed to fire a tracker dart at her. And it stuck on Fran without her noticing. After a while, Fran stopped leaping and landed on a nearby rooftop.

Noel wants to go further, but she realized that she might need some back ups for this. So she decided to retreat for now. Noel gone back to the guild and goes to the receptionist again: "I would like to post a quest." She said,

"What kind?" The receptionist asks.

"I want to capture someone." Noel answers while glaring at the lady.

The receptionist felt nervous by this answer and decided to comply with her. Noel is an inquisitor after all. She then put up a poster on the bulletin board;

'Wanted: Little girl named Fran who is around the age of twelve, with cat features and black hair. She's also an A rank adventurer.' The poster added.

"So... why did you want to capture that little girl?" The receptionist asks with a stern expression.

"The inquisition business is not up to you to be questioned." Noel answered while narrowing her eyes.

"Then where's your inquisition backups?" The lady asked.

Noel gets closer to the lady: "Do you really want the inquisition to deal with a twelve year old? Can your conscience let that happen?" She asks with a serious voice.

"N-no, but..." The lady muttered.

"It's just for one time, I need some backup for this." Noel said while taking out her seal. She shows it to the lady.

"Very well then... I understand." The receptionist answered while keeping her calm.

"Aunt Noel?" Minka said when she saw Noel at the guild: "What are you doing here?"

"Eh... posting a request?" Noel said with a nervous tone.

"A request? For what?" Minka asks.

"Well... there's someone I need to capture. It's for my mission." Noel said while scratching her head.

"Oh?" Minka then sees the poster: "A twelve years old?" She asks while looking at Noel with a suspicious expression.

"Um... it's not like that!" Noel exclaimed: "It's not what you think."

Minka raised an eyebrow and gave Noel a skeptical look: "You know... i don't really believe you." She said.

"Wha? Why?" Noel asks with a frown.

"Just a hunch..." Minka answered: "But you are so bad at lying... I just can't believe you."

Noel pouted: "I am not bad at lying! And I am not doing this for fun either!" She said while glaring at Minka: "Look... I really can use a team to capture her... she carries a really dangerous weapon."

Minka sighed and shook her head: "Okay, I believe you." She said: "But why don't you ask Leanna for help? She's also at the guild." She asks with a curious tone.

Noel went pale in an instant and she began shaking her head: "Um...Her mother and i... I don't know how to describe it... We don't get along." She answered.

"Oh, okay." Minka said with a nod: "I didn't know that... But I can help you."

"You can?" Noel asks.

"Sure, I have a few friends that can help us." Minka then pulled Viola over: "She's also an A rank adventurer." She said,

"Wait, why am I here?" Viola asks while eating the dessert in her hand.

"We are gonna catch a little girl." Minka said with a serious expression: "Aunt Noel wants to capture her, and we will help her." She added while looking at Noel's eyes.

Noel nods: "Thank you for this..." She said with a rather helpless expression.

"Wait, you are with the inquisition?" Viola asks with a surprised tone.

"Yes... i am." Noel answered: "It's a secret though." She said,

"Well, whatever. As long as I am getting paid for this, I don't mind." Viola said with a shrug.

"Thank you so much." Noel said while bowing.

"Well then, let's do this!" Minka said with a bright expression.

After some rest and preparation, three of them began heading to where the tracker is. They found it strange that Fran is seemingly located outside of the city near the forest. So they decide to go over there and have a talk with her. When they arrived at the location, they found Fran sitting on the ground while cleaning the sword.

"Wait..." Noel halted everyone and began listening to what Fran said to the weapon.

"I know how to be careful... you don't have to remind me of that." Fran said to the sword: "I know that I should just run away if someone comes. But... we can't just run away all the time." She added.

The sword just gave a bright light in response.

"I know, I know... you don't need to worry." Fran said while keeping her smile.

"Is that girl crazy?" Minka asked.

"She's talking to the weapon..." Noel answered with a deadpan expression.

"The weapon? That's... first to hear." Viola said with a surprised face.

"Mr. Vegas... I understand... but what if they continue to come and mess with us?" Fran asked the sword.

Mr. Vegas was shining brightly again, as if it was arguing with what she just said.

"No... you are wrong." Fran said while shaking her head: "We can't keep on running." She added: "I know you are worried, but we need to stay here... We can't run anymore." She said. The sword glows in green light in response: "No! I won't lose! They can't beat me!" She exclaimed.

"Oh my, she's fighting with her sword." Viola said while shaking her head.

"She's still a little kid..." Minka said while also stunned by this scene.

"A little kid with a magic sword." Viola answered: "She's quite dangerous if left unchecked." She added.

"So... what do we do?" Minka asks while tilting her head.

"Let's just talk to her first, and see how this goes." Noel said with an annoyed expression and stepped out of the cover: "We come in peace!" She exclaimed.

Fran suddenly stopped talking to the sword and turned towards Noel and her companions.

"Are you going to kill me?" Fran asks with a serious tone.

Noel shook her head: "No, I just want to talk. I will let you go if you promise to listen to me." She said,

Fran went back to her sitting position and nodded: "Okay..."

"Is that a real intelligent weapon?" Noel asks while pointing at the sword.

"Yes..." Fran answered.

"Then... is it alive?" Noel asks with a serious face.

"Mr. Vegas is alive, and he's sentient." Fran answered: "And I am not going to tell you anything more about him." She added.

Noel looked at the sword for a while before sighing: "You are a hybrid, aren't you?" She asks: "I know the imperium hasn't been treating the hybrid well. I suppose your parents are all dead?" She added.

Fran frowned: "What if they are?" She asked.

"Well... I am sorry about your loss." Noel said with a frown: "But please... tell me more about that weapon. Where did you find it?" She asked.

"I found Mr. Vegas in a labyrinth." Fran said: "He told me to go there." She added.

Noel frowned: "He told you? What did he say to you?" She asks.

"He just told me that he wants to leave this place." Fran answered: "That's all."

Noel narrowed her eyes: "Where was the labyrinth?" She asks with a low voice.

"It's a labyrinth under the city." Fran answered.

"The labyrinth under the city?" Noel muttered: "But it should be sealed..."

"Some human slave owners sold me there to excavate." Fran said with a bitter face.

"Who's your owner?" Noel asks while tilting her head.

"I don't have an owner anymore." Fran answered: "I ran away and killed them. With the help of Mr. Vegas."

"I see..." Noel closes her notebook: "I am sorry, young lady. But the weapon has to come with us." She said with a stern voice.

Fran shook her head: "I don't want that." She said: "Mr. Vegas is family, I won't let you take him away!"She pulls out the blade and points at Noel: "Liar!" She exclaims.

Minka leaps forward and a powerfist phases out on her hand, she does a full swing at Fran, but the little girl manages to block it with her claymore. Fran then thrust at Minka, but Minka dodge it and used her power fist to punch at her.

"Not bad..." Viola said with an impressed expression. But then she pulls out a webber, she's going to use a less lethal method to a twelve years old.

Fran dodges the attack by rolling backwards and tries to cut Viola down with her claymore. But Minka again appeared in front and used her full force to hit the claymore. Fran manages to block it and tries to use this chance to punch at Minka. But Viola webbed Fran's hands before she could do so, making Fran frown.

"What's with this sticky thing?" Fran asks while struggling to get away from the webbing.

"It's a special type of adhesive. It's called webber." Viola answered: "Don't worry, you will be free in no time." She added. And Minka comes forward and starts pulling away the claymore off of Fran's hand.

"Ack! What are you doing? Stop it!" Fran exclaimed while struggling.

"Calm down, young miss." Minka said while trying to pull the claymore out.

"I won't let you take Mr. Vegas away!" Fran suddenly has multiple magic spell indicators appear next to her, then fire mixed with lightning began bombing the field.

Noel quickly pulls out her pistol and shoots at the incoming magic spell. She manages to shoot down two of the incoming fireballs before it hits her.

"Minka! Watch out!" Viola shouts, but a lightning strike hits directly at Minka. Causing the young lady to fly backwards and land on the ground.

Viola quickly went over to Minka: "Hey! Are you alright?" She asks.

Minka slowly stands up and nods: "I'm fine...It;s just… ouch..." She said,

"Please! I won't let you take Mr. Vegas!" Fran exclaimed while she removed the webbing on her hands.

Viola just raised an eyebrow. Fran then swung her sword at Viola, but Viola used her arm plate to slide away the attack and hit her fist directly at Fran's stomach. Then Viola uses her close quarter advantage, dealing many blows to Fran's body. She even managed to pin her on the ground with her foot.

"Give up!" Viola steps on Fran's chest. While Minka finally managed to grab the claymore and removed it from Fran's hand.

"Please... please..." Fran said with tears in her eyes.

Viola just sighs and helps Minka tying Fran up. The little girl is not resisting anymore, she just lays there on the ground and keeps crying. Suddenly, the sword began to glow in green light, many lasers and particle whips blazed out from the claymore. It hits Minka away from the sword and cuts loose of Fran's bondage. Then, Fran uses magic to leap away at an impressive speed.

Three of them are all hit during the attack, it didn't cause serious problems but all of them are unable to chase Fran.

"I don't know how she can fight back like this..." Minka said while holding her chest.

"What's your plan now?" Viola asks while panting.

Noel was silent for a moment, and let out a sigh: "Let's call it a day... we will find a way to get her next time."

"Aunt Noel..." Minka came forward: "Was she hurting anyone with that weapon?" She asks with a concerned voice.

"It's a sentient weapon, Minka. It's not something that you should keep around." Noel answered: "And it's dangerous to let the weapon roam around...Also, it's for the sake of the kid."

"But she didn't cause trouble, I don't know Aunt Noel... I feel like we are the bad guys here." Minka said with a worried tone.

Noel looked at Minka for a while: "I'm sorry, Minka... but I have to do this. She's still too young to be able to control such a dangerous weapon." She said with a sad expression: "Can you imagine what havoc she will cause if left unsupervised."

"I understand..." Minka said with a frown: "But if we capture her again... will you let her go?" She asks.

"Well..." Noel frowned and scratched her head: "I don't know...it will be up for the inquisition to decide... but I'll say the kid is innocent."

"Okay, then we will capture her next time." Minka said with a nod: "But we will ask Sannet to help us next time. She's a S tier adventurer." She added.

"Hold on, you know Sannet of Tomorrow?" Noel asks with a surprised expression.

"Well... yeah. But isn't her family name Demain?" Minka said while tilting her head: "We are friends, why?"

"She didn't tell you about...Oh..." Noel realized something and looked away.

"Aunt Noel?" Minka asked while tilting her head.

"No... it's nothing." Noel shakes her head and walks away from the spot. She has a lot of thinking to do.