Mila started her journey once more as she reached Rustmount. Looking to see how it was still the same with its fine weaponry and materials. "What's a young lady like yourself traveling alone for?" The blacksmith looked at Mila, who was having her sword refurbished after such a long time of no use in it. Rustmount did not have the best places to be since it was mainly used for the ores and materials that were constantly used for trading for products.

"I'm currently looking for a few long-lost comrades." Mila figured that she needed to find her comrades if she wanted to gather more power and help when she reached Mireraweth palace. It had been a long time since she last saw all of her friends who lived with her back in the Mireraweth Kingdom, where she still had a mansion while her father was a duke.

"Well, Rustmount isn't known for a good place to hang out. It's a lot of heavy work, and men usually work here only." The blacksmith did not want Mila to just start having any negative or bad thoughts about Rustmount since it was likely boring, but there were many good people in this town. This town did not have much, but overall, it was the safest town out of the rest since it resided along with the mines, which was the only place to work. “Women here do not have much of a job but to stitch clothes and farm a bit.

'I know. That's why I came to Rustmount. This place always needs men who can work and carry materials.' Mila had her sword finished with Vivian following after her, knowing that her comrades would come to a place like this.

[Mila, don't you sense anything off.] Vivian said, seeing that there were unknown figures following her. [It does not seem safe.] Vivian was worriedly hoping that Mila had an idea of how to get out if they were trapped somewhere.

"Don't worry. I know there are people following me. Don't interfere." Mila said, smiling as she went into a dead-end alleyway with no escape to any side. Seeing three hidden figures, she smirked, taking out her sword with the three men fighting her with the same movements as before. Seeing their swords aim at her from all sides, she jumped up, kicking one somewhere in the face while the other two took out one of her daggers that was held close to one's neck while her sword was on the other's neck. "It's been a long time." Mila smiled as the one who was kicked in the face got up, holding his bleeding nose.

"Lady Mila truly has improved over time." He smiled with Mila putting her weapons back into the sheath. Pulling out her handkerchief, she laid it on his nose to stop the blood from going on.

"You all are also doing well. I didn't think you all would challenge me again after all these years." Mila giggled, seeing how the three of them were doing well since they were the main knights who would constantly spar with her. They were, after all, her loyal knights that stood beside her and her family... most of them. "Where is everyone?" She looked at the three of them, questioning in her head if most did not make it out that time.

"They are all fine and well, but what brings the young lady here?" He looked to see how their young lady was in the town where women would usually not come to.

They were curious to know since they usually wouldn't know what was on her mind from the beginning besides knowing that she always thought of a way to overcome them in a battle or spar. Mila was one of a kind, men would compete just to have her hand in marriage since most women do not know swordsmanship and only depend on their mana if they had any.

"I'm here because there may be another war that can break out." Mila didn't know if it was possible, but the possibility of another war was at high risk if one were to investigate the current case involving the mana hunters who were collecting mana.

"How do you know?"

"Will it be soon?"

"There is still a chance to avoid it, but this war will be between those with natural-born mana and those who have stolen mana." Mila looked to them since she knew they were all naturally born with mana.

"Come, it's best to speak about this with the entire group." The three of them had led Mila to a tavern that they had used as a hideout and a hang-out for the rest of their time in Rustmount. Knowing that this was a serious matter, they needed to discuss it with their comrades who would likely want to know more details.

"Everyone! Look who we found!"

"You won't believe it!"

Entering inside, Mila removed her hood that revealed her face which held no scar, but she had the same dark cyan eyes and silky violet hair. She was just older now, no longer a little child from back then. Everyone was shocked to the point of silence filling the air, seeing their young lady after six years. ‘Is it that hard to imagine seeing me in front of you all?’

"Lady Mila?!?!?"

Every knight had finally come back to the reality of their young lady alive and well. They had gotten out of their seats and knelt with their hand at the center of their chest. Paying her respects, they still made it seem like she had high authority and power. “You all do not need to do this.” Mila did not want them to kneel just to pay her their respects this way.

"We've all been waiting for the day that you may find us. If it weren't for your message to us, then we may have never gotten out from death's door." They all continued to kneel, refusing to rise for a few more minutes.

Mila had noticed the commander who always took care of the knights and trained them. She barely knew him, but he was a good commander who knew how to do his job. "Sir Euclid, you've done well in protecting and keeping everyone safe." Mila smiled, looking at them all, seeing that they were fine and well. "Everyone, rise." They all rose to look at her. "We have bigger problems that will occur soon."

The knights all looked at her since she would not tell a lie. Ever since she was a young child, she had never lied to them about serious matters such as this. "What is the big problem?" Euclid looked down to see how the young lady had grown so much in six years.

Mila checked first to make sure that there were no spies. "Have you heard of Mana Hunters?" Mila looked to them all who knew and despised them, allowing her to not explain who they were which would make things easier to explain. "Good, they have been planning for the past few years. They've grown more and more in numbers using children as well.” Mila knew that the knights around had people who they cherished with all their hearts. It would be hard to leave other children alone when they did not even know them, but most children were dragged into this mess involuntarily. “Taking the souls of the children and leaving their bodies only an empty vessel. I do not wish to see any more innocent children used for such selfish actions. It is just too cruel. I am not asking you to join me, but I am only allowing you to stop them from harming any more innocent lives." Mila wasn't going to force any of them to help her.

"Lady Mila, my entire life would have changed if it weren't for you that day. I have no excuse not to join you. I am willing to help you through life and death." Euclid was the first to step up, as he was willing to work with her until death. He was in his prime years, but it did not mean that he would sulk and let his age get to him.

"I will, too!"

"Me too!"

"Children shouldn't be used for such things!"

“We are going to do this for those innocent lives!!!”

Every knight spoke out with Mila smiling more and more to know that they were all willing to help. "I'll be hoping to work with you all again!" Mila said with them all cheering with her. Getting to recall some memories with them once more, she was introduced to some of their families who hung around the tavern.

***

"What?!?!?!" Duke Reynard and Leo said, slamming the desk in Aiken's office. Aiken did not think that both Duke Reynard and Leo would be so bothered by such information passed on to them. ‘Really… Mila, how did you manage to live with these two?’ Aiken questioned in his head. Then he recalled Mila running off to travel, and he could see how she never really had to deal with anything.

"Your daughter slipped some sleeping powder on my friend's two comrades, and when they woke up, they couldn't find her anywhere in the mansion where she was currently staying. It seems as though she followed my friend to the Mireraweth kingdom to help with the Mana Hunter case." Aiken repeated, both men still angrily fuming. ‘I am not going to mention that she could have possibly gone to see ZH. Adding that will only add more wood to the fire.’ Aiken did not want to make them more upset than they already were due to Mila’s decision to disobey and follow her own choices.

"She wants us to die early!!!!" Duke Reynard never felt angry before in a long time. He started to regret letting Mila learn swordsmanship, which was never supposed to be for women to learn. Women were supposed to be wives who took care of their families, but Mila was another case.

"It's the same method she used on us before!!!!" Leo held his head, seeing how Mila was still using that trick to escape and do as she pleased. "I'll go and find her." Leo was then held back by Duke Reynard who did not want him to go since Leo had a family here.

"I'll go. You have your child and wife here. I will not allow a child to lose their only father." Duke Reynard looked to Leo since Leo grew up without a mother, but he didn't want his granddaughter to grow up without a father. It would be hard for a single parent to take on both roles since a child would be able to know between a father and mother.

"You both can't go," Aiken informed them both that they would not be able to leave since it would only be troublesome.

"Ehhh!!!!"

Σ(°ロ°) Σ(°ロ°)

Both were angrily looking at Aiken, who was so calm about it all. "You both will only hurt her and burden her if you go right now. Think about how she would feel if you both just appeared there when she didn't want her loved ones to be hurt." Aiken advised them not to give Mila a hard time and to choose. “You both would only make it harder for her to choose. Would Mila be happy or upset? Would you be a burden or not? What do you both feel about it?” Aiken was making both think really hard about it since he did not want them to go there and ruin the hard work that Mila had been working up for. He decided to give Mila a hand to get her father and older brother to stay rather than to go and find her to drag her back to where they were.