"Will you be okay from here, Lesley?" Gusset asked her when he guided her once again to way outside the underground tunnel.

The Paxleys had actually convinced her to sleep in the manor last night.

And yes, they didn't allow her to sleep in any guest room but they forced her to sleep on Gusion's room.

The room was actually kept clean but you could say that it wasn't used for a long time. Though honestly, last night was the most peaceful sleep she had for the last months.

She didn't know if it was magic by the prestigious family or not but Gusion's scent remained on his sheets— the entire room actually, as if he was there— covering her with his warmth.

Last night was the first night she didn't have any nightmares ever since that incident several months ago.

She nodded to Gusset, "I'll be fine from here. Thank you."

Gusset stared at her as if he was trying to scan her if she was telling the truth, but then he sighed afterwards. "Alright, be safe always. And do not forget what my mother told you about that locket."

Lesley looked at him passively before she leaned her head sidewards, "You knew something about this locket huh." That wasn't a question, it was a statement.

With that, the corner of his lips rose. "Smart. But I won't tell you the details."

She rolled her eyes after letting out an exasperating sigh, "Oh come on. What if I will be in a life or death situation, how would I know what to do?"

Gusset became serious, "It won't happen to you."

"It happened before." Lesley shrugged, remembering the day when Harley was taken away.

"That's because the locket wasn't still with you." Gusset answered.

That piqued Lesley's interest, "What do you mean?"

Gusset smirked, "Time's up. No more questions."

She groaned in frustration, "I hate you."

He let out a soft chuckle, "Find the answers on your own. You're smart, you can do it."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, "Thank you by the way." She said before turning her back to Gusset.

Gusset just shook his head and just went back to the Paxley Manor when Lesley was gone in his sight. He paused for a second though when he noticed something but he just shrugged it off.

Meanwhile, Lesley was back on her journey. And she was back to zero once again.

I wonder where should I go. Should I go to the borderline of Barren Lands? Maybe their new laboratory is there. Lesley thought. Or should I head eastwards?

She then remembered that the east part of Moniyan Territory were mountain ranges.

Maybe VENOM's lab is there? She trued convincing herself. If not, then I'm back to square one again.

Since she was in her deep thoughts, it was too late when she noticed that someone was following and grabbed her.

Before Lesley could react, her vision went black.

=====

"Princess, we're here."

Silvanna slowly fluttered her eyes open and rubbed it a little to clear her vision. She was about to ask Granger if how long she had been asleep when she was startled upon realizing her position.

She was leaning on his shoulder while they were sharing a thick blanket. Silvanna quickly composed herself.

"Sorry, was it uncomfortable? I didn't know I fell asleep." Silvanna said.

"It's alright, Princess. I didn't have the heart to wake you up since that was the longest sleep you have when we started travelling here." Granger said after folding the blanket and carefully placing it to one side before opening the door.

He went down first and offered his hand to her to guide her from dismounting the travel carriage.

They had arrived in the Scarlet-Shadow Sect in Cardia Riverlands.

The citizens of the sect immediately recognized the princess and also a knightess of the Moniyan Empire as they kneeled on one of their knees to pay respect to the future queen of Moniyan.

"Please rise now." Silvanna said.

"What can we do for you, Your Highness?" One of the ninjas asked.

"Where is the Head of the Scarlet Sect?"

The ninjas exchanged glances, wondering why the princess was looking for the head of Scarlet Sect.

"This way, Your Highness." The ninjas said before they led them towards the main hall where the heads of two sects were staying.

The head quickly bowed to pay respect for Silvanna while the ninjas left the room. However, Granger stayed inside the room though he maintained a distance where he couldn't hear the conversation but enough to protect the Moniyan Princess from an ambush.

"It must be so important that you have to travel here yourself, Your Highness." Master Shinro— old but still strong Head of the Scarlet Sect.
(A/N: I really don't know the age and name of the heads of Scarlet-Shadow Sect. I have to give them names because it's kinda long if I have to type 'Master of Scarlet Sect' all the time.)

"I'll go straight to the point, Master Shin." Silvanna sighed, "A Scarlet ninja named Hanabi was taken away."

Worried flickered in the master's eyes upon hearing what happened to one of strongest Scarlet ninja. "What?"

Silvanna didn't hesitate but to tell what happened in details. The head of the Scarlet Sect was in shock but then he remained his composure until Silvanna was finished in telling him the details.

"In the current situation of Moniyan Warriors, we cannot mainly focus on this." Silvanna said.

"What you are proposing, Your Highness?"

Silvanna did a full bow, "Please lend us the strength of Scarlet-Shadow Sect."

Granger— who was watching them from afar— also gave Master Shinro a full bow upon seeing that Silvanna was bowing.

Master Shinro was taken aback a little upon seeing the princess of the powerful empire bowing in front of him.

It earned him a huge respect to the princess. The Moniyan Empire was indeed very grateful to have a future queen like her.

"Princess Silvanna, you don't have to bow, your status is higher than me." Master Shinro said.

"That may be true but I am asking a huge favor."

Master Shinro's face softened with that. The king raised the princess very well. "Well, stop bowing now and I will tell you my response to your favor."

Silvanna stood with dignity— showing that she was a princess and knightess at the same time.

"The Scarlet Sect will give you the best Scarlet ninjas. As for the Shadow Sect, I'll be the one to convince Jinro, you don't have to worry."

With that, Silvanna smiled widely and did a full bow once again. "Thank you Master Shinro."

Master Shinro chuckled and raised his hand to stop her from bowing continuously, "You don't have to bow many times, Your Highness. I can see that the empire can still be in good hands in the future. King Silver raised you well."

"I still have a long way to go, Master Shin." Silvanna smile, "But with my comrades and the whole Moniyan Empire beside me, the empire will surely continue to rise."

Master Shinro nodded as a sign of agreement to what she said, "You're a true leader. Anyway, you don't have to worry about the Shadow Sect. I'll be the one who will convince Jinro."

"That would be a great help. Thank you, Master Shin." Silvanna said.

"Why don't you and your comrade stay here even for this day before you go back? I know you had a long journey from the capital all the way here." Master Shinro offered.

Silvanna was contemplating. It would be rude not to accept the offer, considering they would do a huge favor for them.

She nodded her head, "Thank you for that generous offer, Master Shin. But isn't it too much already?"

"No, not at all, Your Highness." Master Shin smiled, "Just the mere fact that you went all the way here just to rely the message about Hanabi is a great help. Now, we have lead where to search for her."

During lunch time, Master Jinro— the head of the Shadow Sect and Master Shinro's younger twin— joined them. They were discussing some tactics and plans on what they would do.

Morning came when Silvanna and Granger decided to return to the Lumina City. As much as they wanted to stay, but they couldn't. They still had a very long journey ahead.

Their travel carriage was about to leave when a shadow and an umbrella appeared in front of the carriage.

Upon seeing those things, Silvanna smiled. She was expecting them.

She saw Granger frowned in confusion when he saw her went down the carriage but still followed her nonetheless.

A Shadow ninja and a girl in kimono appeared in front of them.

"Your Highness, about Hanabi—"

"Yes, it's true." Silvanna said, "Kagura and Hayabusa, right?"

The childhood sweethearts nodded. Silvanna knew them, but not really personally. She just had a few background about them.

The two looked at each other before Kagura spoke once again, "Is there anything we can do to help you? If we will wait for the formal order from the Heads of Sect, it might take a while."

Silvanna smiled, "That's fine. We can't really attack the Dark Abyss or the VENOM Squad without any plan. We will be risking a lot of lives here."

Silvanna noticed that Hayabusa was just looking around. She knew he was observing since she could also feel that strange aura not too far away from them.

They were busy talking to each other, as if they weren't aware of that aura when suddenly she felt Granger's arms wrapped around her and dashed sideways avoiding the attack from above while Hayabusa and Kagura also dodged the attack.

And there they saw a dark soul-like floating creature.

"Hanzo." Hayabusa said with disgust in his voice.

Silvanna just noticed that there was a thread-like thing connecting the soul from somewhere. And out of nowhere, a body was fused with the soul.

"What do you mean Hanabi was taken?" The newcomer asked dangerously.

"Why are you worried? You almost killed her before." Kagura said angrily while gripping hardly on her Seimei umbrella.

But the newcomer named Hanzo ignore her and looked at Silvanna, "Where is Hanabi and who are these shitty creatures that took her away?"

Granger quickly went in front of her and pointed his gun towards the newcomer.

"I'm asking you!" Hanzo growled.

Granger gripped on his gun and was ready to pull the trigger but Silvanna put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

She looked at Hanzo, "And? What do I get if I tell you?"

Granger looked at Silvanna fantastically.

It was as if she was expecting this Hanzo to appear here. He thought.

"Well? I'm waiting." Silvanna added.

Hanzo tsked before answering that made Silvanna smirked to herself.

Just what I thought.

=====

"Impulsive as always." Gusset commented as he was currently leaning to one of the trees in the forest.

The other person just rolled eyes at him, "If you didn't get too close, I won't do this."

That made Gusset chuckled, "And now, it's my fault? How come?"

"Whatever." The other one said before leaning to the sleeping sniper to tuck some of her hair away from her face, "You can go now."

"Nah, I'll stay here. We don't know if you will take advantage of her." Gusset said, trying to provoke the other.

The other person hissed in anger, "You think I'm that kind of person?"

Gusset just shrugged and left. The other one just stared at the sleeping sniper before sighing.

=====

Lesley gasped the moment she woke up. She was trying to catch her breath as she tried to remember what happened.

The last thing she remembered was when Gusset guided her outside the tunnel. She was walking peacefully, trying to find her way out of the Castle Aberleen territory when someone grabbed her and she lost consciousness.

She didn't know if she was asleep for days or not. She checked herself to find if there was something weird but then she released a sigh of relief to see none.

Her rifle and grenades were still with her and her clothes were still in-tacked.

She looked around and noticed that she was inside a tent. She was lying on a warm cloth beneath her and wrapped in a thick blanket.

Lesley frowned. She didn't remember that she had tent and built a tent before losing her consciousness.

She went out and saw some branches and ashes outside— like someone started a fire to give warmth.

She shuddered upon realization. Someone is with me the whole time I was unconscious? But who?

Lesley decided to dismantle the tent and folded the blanket and the cloth on the ground.

She didn't notice something on the cloth while she was folding them.

She left the dismantled tent and cloths on that place before walking once again. It was really a mystery for her on who was that person she was with.

It was giving her chills since it was creeping her out.

"I must be alert all the time. I can't let it happen to me again." Lesley told herself as she continued walking.

~~~~~

Okay, I know this update is a trash. You don't have to tell me twice. HAHAHAHAHA.

But I needed to put these scenes to connect it with the next one.

Thank you for patiently waiting <3