Disclaimer: I don't own Little Witch Academia or any of its characters. They rightfully belong to Trigger.

A/N: Hello my lovelies! It's been a while, and I sincerely apologize for the delay. In order to make up for it, I made this chapter especially long just for you guys. Please read and enjoy the chapter, and I'll just leave my rant along with my notes and a very important announcement for the end of the chapter.

Chapter 10: Adventure of a Lifetime

"Are you serious?" Amanda whispered, watching Akko in amusement from afar.

The trio are currently hiding on the second floor by the stairs, they were busy staring at the young maid as she worked, who didn't look like she was working at all as she kept stealing side glances at the front doors of the manor every five seconds. The brunette almost resembled a small puppy waiting for its owner to return home.

Jasminka nodded in agreement, munching on some almonds she snatched from the kitchen. "Akko has been sweeping the same spot for hours..."

"Not just hours, DAYS!" The adventurous redhead exclaimed, quietly of course so that they wouldn't be discovered. She then turned to look at Constanze, "How many days specifically are we talking about here?"

The short girl merely held up three fingers in response to her leader's question.

"Look at that: Three days, three days since Cav has left the manor and this girl is acting like a lost, love-sick puppy." Amanda exaggerated, despite it being the truth, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I think that this kind of scenario is cute as much as the next girl, but COME ON! It's clear that she has it bad, but this can get unhealthy real fast. We need to do something about it." she declared.

"What do you suggest?" Constanze signed.

The red-haired tomboy thought about it for a moment, crossing her arms as she began to think of solutions, "Hmm, how about we take her with us? We can show Akko around town, and maybe she can tag along for a couple of missions with us!" she spoke excitedly.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" The pink-haired adventurer spoke up in concern, "She recently got a clean bill of health from Anna, and I don't think Diana would be too happy to see that Akko managed to hurt herself again when she comes back from her trip."

"Don't worry Jasna, don't worry! Akko will be under our watchful care and protection." Amanda reassured with utmost confidence.

And with that, the adventurous redhead got up on her feet and casually made her way down the stairs to get to the foyer, possibly going to have a small chat with the young maid.

"I know that Amanda is both our leader and our friend and that we should have faith in her, but I can't help but feel... uneasy when she tells me not to worry. Constanze, am I wrong for thinking like this?" Jasminka asked her small companion, eating a handful of almonds by this point due to her feeling anxious.

Constanze merely grumbled as she signed, "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Pretty soon after that, the trio managed to drag Akko out of the mansion once she was done with her servant duties for the day as they decided to travel to Glastonbury.

"Why are we out here again?" Akko asked for the umpteenth time today, glaring at the redhead from her backseat of the cart.

"I told you, we're going on a little field trip." Amanda answered, feeling exasperated for having to repeat herself. "Besides, we're already here."

Just when the redhead said that, Constance stopped the wagon as she pulled the reigns to halt the horses. Once they stopped, the brunette looked to her right at the establishment the red-haired tomboy was pointing at...

This street was filled and lined up with a lot of quaint shops, which looked lively and inviting in order to attract potential customers to their establishments, but the shop that Amanda pointed to looked abandoned and run down. The roof of the place looked like it needed desperate repair, the windows are dark and dusty almost as if nobody had cleaned them in years, the plants that were settled on the store's front porch looked like they haven't been watered in days, and even the shop's sign looked old and worn out to the point where you could hardly make out the words.

Either the owners don't care about how their establishment is like, or nobody wasn't running the place. For Akko, both scenarios seem probable.

...Last Wednesday Society? Akko sent a hesitant glance towards the trio, "Uh girls, I don't mean to burst your bubble but... this place seems too dreary for a hang out." she told them.

Amanda approached her and wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulders, "Heh. If you think that's dreary, just wait until you look inside."

Once she said that, the girls walked into the gloomy-looking establishment, and true to her word the redhead was right. The shop's ambiance was dark, save for the various candles scattered throughout the store. There were a variety of masks from many different countries hung up on the walls from protection, medical, disguise, performance, and even entertainment. Some look decent while others looked more terrifying than the last. All in all, Akko certainly felt like she was being watched at all times...

"Yep! You were right Amanda, this is really dreary!" Swallowing heavily and looking paler than usual, the brunette slowly started backing away towards the front entrance of the shop, "This was really fun and all, but I think I'm going to go home now–bye!" she managed to get out before she bumped into Jasminka, which caused Akko to let out a frightened squeak.

The pink-haired adventurer gently laid her hands on the young girl's shoulders, gently pushing her forward, "It's okay Akko, there's nothing to be afraid of." she reassured.

I can think of a lot of things...! The brunette thought nervously, her frantic eyes landing on various weapons that hung on the wall behind the store counter along with creepy specimen jars that laid on shelves, and Akko could've sworn that some of them were still moving...!

Regardless of how she felt, Akko steeled her nerves and let herself be lead by the strong girl. As the small group neared the store counter, the red-eyed girl did a double-take, finally noticing the shop keeper and a customer talking in hush tones.

The client looked familiar to the brunette, almost painfully so, and upon closer inspection... Long dark blue hair that was tied in a low ponytail, fair complexion, and red eyes as deep as Akko's own. It was-

It's the blue-haired woman from the alley! Akko thought in realization.

Once their hushed conversation was over, the blue-haired adventurer waved goodbye to the store owner and started making her way out of the shop, but she soon stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the young girl's stare. "Um, may I help you?"

"N-no, I mean, yes!" Startled at being spoken to, the brunette merely shook her head as she tried to gather her composure. Once she did, Akko took a deep breath and asked, "...Have we met before? Somewhere?"

The older woman tilted her head in confusion, genuinely looking just as lost as the young girl. "I...don't believe we have. If we did, I surely would have remembered."

"I see. I'm sorry if I bothered you..." Akko apologized.

"It's quite alright." The blue-haired adventurer reassured, "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Good day." she smiled while doing a small wave as she exited the premises.

As soon as the older woman left, Amanda stared at the brunette, to the point where the red-eyed girl felt uncomfortable. "W-what?"

"Nothing." The red-haired tomboy responded dismissively.

The girls all jumped in surprise once the shop keeper spoke up with an authoritative tone, "Ladies. Unless you have business in this establishment, I'd highly suggest that you leave. I hate loiterers."

The store owner was a rather tall woman who appeared to be in her mid thirties with tanned skin. Unlike most women on this day and age who wore moderate dresses, she simply wore a white shirt and black pants. She also wore the store work apron over her clothing, and if one were to look closely on the collar of her shirt she wore a tribal necklace around her neck, but it remained hidden since it was tucked in her shirt. Her green colored mane is curly, though it was a bit messy in a way that made it look wild, almost as if she couldn't care less on how to maintain it. And finally she has sharp, golden eyes, of which they seemed to glow on the dark ambiance of the shop. Upon first glance she looked normal and perhaps intimidating to others, but when you looked closer...

She's not human... Akko realized.

Regardless of the green-haired woman's tone, Amanda merely smirked as she casually sauntered over to the counter like she already owned the place. "Zsofia, sweetheart, why do you have to be like that? You know that we're your favorite customers!"

Zsofia did not look amused in the slightest, though surprisingly she showed a small smile, revealing one of her sharp canines. "Define 'favorite.'"

"Are you serious?!"

"When am I ever not serious, O'Neill."

"Oh, come on!" The red-haired adventurer bemoaned as she slumped over the counter with a pout, "We're one of the best adventurers you ever had! I mean, we have to be good for something..." she finished saying, giving the woman a dose of the puppy-dog eyes.

"Correction: The best adventurer we ever had in this establishment just walked out a few minutes ago. If anything, your little trio are decent errand girls." Zsofia hid a snicker at the back her hand.

Amanda flinched as if she was burned, "Ouch. At least give the green team some credit... You've got to admit that we did a pretty good job completing missions over the years since we joined this guild." she grumbled.

"That's it, that word right there." Zsofia spoke, before elaborating with, "Green, you greenhorns."

Double ouch.

The tomboy pouted, all the while scowling at the older woman. "You really don't pull any punches do ya?"

"I'm merely jesting, kid. You girls are doing a wonderful job." The green-haired woman reassured with a chuckle, affectionately ruffling Amanda's hair. She then looked behind her to stare at the clock. "I'm afraid I won't be able to tend to you girls today, but don't worry I'll fetch my husband." Zsofia took a deep breath and yelled in her native language, "Férj, can you please come over here? The green team are here for another mission."

In response the girls heard a masculine rough, and surprisingly mellow voice replying with, "I'll be right there, Édesem~!"

Zsofia merely rolled her eyes at hearing her husband's response, a faint blush covering her cheeks.

The older woman's reaction was something that Amanda picked on immediately, which made her grin similarly to the Cheshire cat, "Well, well, well... What's this? I certainly didn't peg you to be the sappy kind of gal when it comes to romance~." she teased.

"Shove it." The green-haired woman retorted as she untied and hanged her work apron on a clothing rack, walking out from behind the store counter. "Just you wait until you get a lover of your own, O'Neill. It's rather contagious, you might even catch it and be sappy yourself."

"Pfft, as if!" Amanda spoke in denial as she put her hands behind her head, "I'd rather be suave and charming any day."

"Whatever you say, O'Neill." Zsofia retorted while rolling her eyes once again, and she then stopped short once she noticed Akko, who started to shake in fright for being stared at. She looks just like...

Before the green-haired woman could contemplate any further, she merely chose to remain silent as she shook her head and said goodbye to the green team, leaving the premises.

As soon as Zsofia left a chubby, raven-haired man emerged from the back of the shop, "Hello girls! How can I help you today?" he greeted them with a kind smile.

"Hey Barnat," The red-haired tomboy gave a curtsy response, grinning all the while, "I was wondering if you could set us up with a mission today."

"I certainly hope that you're not asking for an overly difficult mission..." Barnat purposely trailed off as he too stared at the brunette, "Who's this?" he asked, warily.

Why is everyone staring at me today?! Akko thought in frustration, but regardless of how she felt she tried her best to give a friendly smile in hopes of toning down the tension. "H-hello."

The red-eyed girl got a bit startled once she felt a pair of strong hands on her shoulders and she turned her head to see that Jasminka was responsible for doing so, showing a kind smile of her own as she said, "This is our new friend, Atsuko Kagari. We brought her here to learn the ropes and become an adventurer like us."

"So, Miss Kagari will be a part of your group then? That's fine and all, but... Is she 'cool'?" The portly man interrogated them, giving the green team a knowing look.

To say the least, the brunette looked rather insulted by Barnat's phrasing. What the hell is that supposed to mean?!

"She may not look like it, but she certainly gave us a run for our money when we met a couple of days ago, she even managed to catch Amanda off guard! I think Akko will make a great adventurer!" The pink-haired girl answered happily.

In response to Jasminka's elaboration, Constanze nodded with a grunt as she gave a thumbs up in approval.

Meanwhile Amanda cleared her throat, giving a nervous laugh as she slightly glared at her teammates before she ultimately turned her attention back to the proprietor, "Yeah~, discounting that little detail... You heard the ladies, Barnat. Akko is 'cool'." she reassured.

And just like that Barnat's cautious attitude vanished in an instant, "Well, alright then! Welcome to the Last Wednesday Society, Miss Kagari!" he formerly welcomed the girl.

"T-thank you, but um... What's the Last Wednesday Society?" The brunette asked them.

The portly man beamed as he began to explain the functions of his establishment, "The Last Wednesday Society, or the LWS for short, stands for-"

Both Akko and Barnat jumped in surprise when Amanda suddenly slammed her hands on the store counter exclaiming, "A guild! Where we, uh, do community service for the townspeople in need! You know, delivering medicine and food, getting rid of wild animals off people's crops, and sometimes we even assist the city guardsmen in apprehending criminals. That sort of thing! Yeah, yeah, that's it!" she summarized with an uneasy laugh.

If Akko wasn't confused before, then she certainly was now. "Okay...?"

"...I thought you said that she was 'cool'." The raven-haired man spoke slowly with a hint of confusion in his tone, looking at the green team suspiciously as he patiently waited for an answer.

"We meant 'cool' as in cool of her hanging out with us!" Amanda retorted simply with a chuckle, and seeing as Barnat wasn't convinced at all she sighed heavily, "Jas, Cons, can you please wait outside with Akko for me? Please?"

"Sure Amanda, we'll be waiting in the cart. Come on girls." Jasminka took charge as she led Akko and Constanze out of the store.

Now that they were alone, the proprietor crossed his arms and said, "Spill. Now."

"Look, I'm really sorry for lying to you Barnat." The short-haired tomboy began with an apology, "But I can explain! You see..."

Amanda proceeded to tell Barnat of their current situation without pause and the raven-haired man just stood there with closed eyes and arms crossed over his chest, intently listening to the teenager as he took all the information in.

"So, you're basically telling me that you brought a possible NORMIE into my MAGICAL shop?!" Barnat exclaimed from the top of his lungs, uncrossing his arms in order to ball his hands into angry fists, "Do you realize the possible consequences that could've ensued because of your recklessness?! All of our necks are on the line here!" he hissed.

The red-haired tomboy raised her hands in defense, "What the hell man?! I told you everything in confidence as a sign of our FRIENDSHIP! You're supposed to be the level-headed one!"she stated.

"Oh yeah, use that old, pathetic excuse why don't ya." The proprietor rolled his eyes when he heard Amanda's so-called 'justification', "I definitely have something to tell my wife when she finally gets home tonight. She outta get a kick out of this." he said with a halfhearted chuckle.

"Are you insane?! She's going to kill you!" Amanda gasped, her eyes widening in fright.

"I WAS BEING SARCASTIC! What do you take me for, an idiot?!" Barnat practically roared in fury, similarly to an actual bear.

The young adventurer took a step back, "Dude, your fangs are showing." she pointed out with a shaky finger.

At hearing this, the raven-haired man swiftly covered his mouth, "And, who's fault is that?" he muffled a retort. "Bless the nine that Zsofia isn't the one dealing with you right now..."

"And that's why you're my buddy!" Amanda said in glee, showing off one of those casual grins that makes you want to kill a certain individual for being so stupid. "So, uh... Are you just going to stand there? Am I not going to get my next mission?" She asked him, her smile wavering a bit due to nervousness as well as the awkward silence that followed.

Barnat did not look amused. At all. He simply stared at the short-haired tomboy with a blank stare, possibly debating on what to say next or maybe he was purposely tuning out Amanda completely. Who could say?

The silence was almost too much to bear, and ultimately Amanda cracked under the pressure as she slumped against the counter, bringing up her clasp hands as a plea. "Please, Barnat, don't make me beg. I said I was sorry, alright? I give you my word that this little incident can stay between us. Nobody will know, especially your wife! Huh, huh, what do you say bud?"

Still no response.

"Please~!" The young adventurer let out a pathetic whine, giving her best dose of the puppy-dog eyes, and seeing as the portly man has yet to react towards her attempts to mend the situation Amanda finally let her shoulders slack in defeat. She wasn't done quite yet though. "Come on man, give me another chance! Please don't make me go out there and disappoint my team! They already tease me enough as is."

"Good." Barnat talked at last, rather coldly. "Maybe that'll teach you to be more responsible with your actions." Amanda seemed to deflate much further with every word the man spoke, "However," he continued while taking out a box from under the store counter and laid it on the surface. "I do have a suitable mission lined up for you girls, and it just so happens that important cargo needs to be delivered..."

At hearing this, the red-haired tomboy instantly went back to her old self. "Aw, Barnie, you do care!"

"Don't push it." The proprietor grumbled, but regardless of his words he still showed a small smile on his face.

Amanda let out a nervous chuckle, "Sorry."

The red-haired adventurer lost herself in thought when she finally exited the store. She was plotting out their route in her mind, going over different possible scenarios to avoid thieves.

Jasminka came to stand beside her. "Well?"

"Ladies, we are heading to Wells!" Amanda declared. "We need to leave Glastonbury and head northwest through the Mendip hills until we reach the port of entry to get to the city. The less trouble we have to slip past, the better."

"What do you mean by trouble?" Akko asked from the back. "There are thieves?"

"Yep, we're a small caravan. Cargo on wheels such as this baby attracts bandits and thieves alike." Amanda said, slapping the side of the cart. Then she stepped forward and laid her hand on Akko's shoulder, "Time to go, runt."

They traveled for about half an hour on the road with nothing but idle chatter keeping them entertained along with the sounds of nature around them.

"Are we there yet?" Akko droned in boredom for the umpteenth time since they left Glastonbury.

"Not yet~!" Amanda spoke irritably before suddenly turning serious, snapping the reigns to urge the horses to go a bit faster, "Say Akko, how do you feel about magic?" she asked.

Noticeably, Jasminka and Constanze stiffened in their seats as they looked at their leader as if she grew two heads. The pink-haired adventurer certainly didn't hesitate to not-so-lightly punch Amanda on her shoulder.

"Oi! What the hell Jasna?! That hurt!" The redhead whispered exasperatedly, glaring at the girl beside her.

"I thought that we agreed not to talk about magic in front of Akko. We promised Diana that we wouldn't!" Jasminka reminded her. Constanze seemed to be in agreement with the strong girl since she was nodding profusely.

"Yes, we did, BUT~ it's not like I'm saying, 'Hey Akko, guess what? We're witches!'" Amanda exaggerated, "Cav didn't say anything about that now, did she? Besides, you girls can relax, I'm just testing the waters to see how Akko thinks about the current times." she tried to reason with them.

Jasminka looked unsure, "I don't know..."

"Just give me a chance, Jasna. I'll ask this one and only question." The short-haired tomboy reassured.

Oblivious to their interaction, the brunette looked down at her work worn hands, balling them into fists as she contemplated Amanda's question...

Since the incident in her home village, Akko had considered herself to be cursed, or maybe just having rotten luck all together.

Does she consider magic to be good?

That's hard to say. Up until now, the brunette hasn't even done anything extraordinary with her newfound powers. Could she even consider it as a 'gift'? On that fateful day, Akko managed to miraculously stop a fire from spreading in her home, saving herself along with her mother from the unexpected flames... But, at what cost? This one seemingly good deed almost made Akko lose her life. Not only that but she also lost her home, her friends, and her family all in one day.

Does she consider magic to be bad?

Well, that's also hard to say because if it weren't for that incident Akko wouldn't have had the chance to meet Diana. Meeting the heiress had been Akko's one and only silver lining over the whole ordeal. Admittedly, if their chance encounter hadn't happened then things would've been much worse for the red-eyed girl. She would've dropped dead on the road and die from her injuries. Then again, there was also the unfortunate possibility of being hunted down by her fellow 'humans', and all because she was different from them...

Will Diana react the same way once she finds out I'm a freak? Akko wondered, finding that scenario almost too painful to bear, or to imagine. Just thinking of Diana's warm, kind demeanor towards her suddenly change to a cold, scorn that would make Akko feel so insignificant...

She would rather not be alive to see it.

Amanda's sudden question might've been simple, in hindsight, but to the brunette... It was a sore subject to talk about.

After what felt like an eternity, Akko finally responded, "I guess, you could say I'm indifferent."

At hearing her reply, Constanze tilted her head in confusion.

"Indifferent?" Jasminka repeated with genuine curiosity.

"I...I just..." The red-eyed girl faltered a bit with her words, "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry..." The strong girl apologized.

Akko gave a small smile, "It's okay, really."

Indifferent, huh? Then it's one of two scenarios: either Akko is a witch like us, or maybe she's a normal girl who's too scared to say what's really on her mind, possibly in fear of being imprisoned or worse... Amanda deduced as she let out a long, heavy sigh. This world is so messed up. She let her eyes wander away from the path ahead and looked over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of the brunette for a moment before she returned her gaze back to the road once again. "If it makes you feel any better, we're all on the same boat."

What does she mean by that? Akko wondered.

Amanda's words were so sudden, sounding honest and sincere, and it was almost as if the tomboy knew what she was going through. But that could just be Akko's imagination, right? However, before she could even have the chance to question the redhead about it...

Constanze's blue eyes suddenly widened in alarm, her body going stiff in her seat.

"Are you okay Constanze?" The red-eyed girl asked in concern, noticing the short girl's reaction.

Akko's question seemed to have fallen on deaf ears because Constanze merely ignored her and moved to the front of the cart, poking at Jasminka's shoulder to catch the strong girl's attention.

"Hmm?" The pink-haired adventurer looked down to her small companion, who was now pointing frantically behind them towards the distance. Seeing the potential threat Jasminka merely hummed in contemplation as she gave a side glance towards her leader, "Don't look now Amanda, but I think we're going to have company..." she warned.

The red-haired tomboy showed a cocky smirk, "You don't have to tell me twice. They're in front of us too..."

"Wait... So, you mean to tell me that we're surrounded on both sides?!" Akko exclaimed, looking behind them to notice a caravan in the distance.

They weren't very close to their wagon, likely so they wouldn't look suspicious Akko guessed. But that didn't mean that they wouldn't be on their tail soon. The people driving the cart looked like the shady sort, and when the brunette looked at the other side far up the road, she was met with the same results... They really were surrounded.

"Just relax Akko, we got this!" Amanda told her with sheer confidence, not a trace of fear in her body language. Instead, she showed fierce bravado as she started giving instructions to her team, "Constanze, start getting your crossbow ready and once I give my signal you can start shooting. Jasminka, mind taking the reigns for me?"

"Got it." The pink-haired adventurer accepted them.

Meanwhile, Constanze gave a thumbs up as she went to get her weapon ready. She held a small crossbow bolt up to the light, watching it glint as she slowly rolled it between her gloved fingers before she started loading her weapon for the upcoming battle.

Amanda then maneuvered herself to the back of the cart, sitting beside Akko, "Hold out your hands and close your eyes." she ordered.

The brunette did as she was told, and as soon as she did Akko felt something cold and hard pressed into the palm of her right hand. She looked down to find the hilt of a dagger clutched in her fist.

Cold shock shot though Akko's body. She stared at the knife in dumbfound confusion for several minutes. Then, slowly, she raised her eyes again to meet Amanda's.

The redhead was staring at her casually, conveniently hiding a long stick near the front of the caravan to have it accessible. "I figure you'd better learn how to defend yourself a little, instead of relying on your speed when running away."

Akko's mouth fell open. She searched Amanda's eyes, hoping desperately to find some sign that she was joking, and finding none. Her gaze fell back to the dagger in her hand. She tried to imagine shoving that into someone else's body; her insides churned at the thought of such a scenario occurring.

"M-me?" The red-eyed girl stammered, "I…I don't really…"

"Listen to me Akko," Amanda grabbed Akko's shoulders, looking the young girl in the eye. "There comes a time in everyone's lives in where you have to take risks. In our case, it's mostly life or death, which is still the same thing since there's a risk involved. The point is: you need to find courage. You want to see Diana again, don't you?"

"More than anything..." Akko answered honestly, wishing that she could be anywhere else but here. Now that she thought about it... She didn't even want to be here! "This is why I wanted to stay at the manor. To avoid situations like THIS!"

"Hey now!" The short-haired tomboy shifted away from the brunette to avoid her wrath, "We only brought you out here out of the goodness of our hearts. Otherwise, you would've been a zombie by the time Cav decided to return home."

Akko's face flushed red in embarrassment, already putting two-and-two together by figuring out that the green team had been watching her this entire time. "T-that wouldn't happen!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Amanda spoke dismissively, heading her way back to sit at the front. "Do me a favor and be sure to throw that stick to me when I give the signal, alright?"

"How will the signal loo-"

"You'll know it when you see it."

"Shh," Jasminka hushed them, "I'm about to stop the cart." she informed the girls in a low voice before she raised it again, "Whoa boy~!"

By pulling the reigns, the horses slowed down upon command. Their cart stopped completely a few feet away from the suspicious group in front of them, of which already had stopped and dismounted their own caravan. Similarly, the group that was following behind them did the same.

"Oi, buddy! You mind moving your wagon? We have somewhere to be!" Amanda yelled impatiently, jumping off the cart as she confronted them.

The leader of this group was a bulky man whose nose was bandaged with ugly gauze. His bruised face sported a wicked look. They were surrounded by a mob of his crew and all of them had their various weapons drawn.

"We can see that, doll face." The boss commented, completely dismissing Amanda's request as he glanced over their cargo. "That's a lot of crates ya got there... Mind telling me what you're delivering?"

"We have nothing of value to you." The short-haired tomboy responded, her voice cold as ice, "We're simple farmhands doing a simple delivery to the next town over."

The leader looked skeptical, "You girls don't look like farmhands to me..."

"Just like you boys don't look like thugs to me. See? We have a lot in common already..." Amanda gave a cheeky response, showing a small smile as she deviously shuffled her boots in the sand.

The boss man smirked, his left hand slowly making it's way up to reach the hilt of his sword. "I guess we do."

The next event that followed happened so fast that Akko herself struggled to comprehend what was going on. In a flash, Amanda's small smile turned into a huge grin as she swiftly brought her right leg up in a gutsy high kick, bringing up a generous amount of dirt in the air...

As expected, sand got into the man's eyes, causing him to groan in frustration as he tried his best to get rid of the dust in his eyes. "D-dammit!"

"Now!"

At the sound of Amanda's voice, the brunette straightened up and sprang into action, her body moving on auto-pilot as she grabbed the redhead's staff from its hiding place and threw it toward Amanda's direction. "Amanda!"

The tomboy perked up at the mention of her name, she pivoted in time to catch her weapon of choice.

No sooner that she did, Amanda felt a strong hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. "You think you can get away from me?!" The leader spoke in outrage.

SHUNK

A crossbow bolt slammed into her aggressor's shoulder and he stumbled, screaming in pain, and that was all the distraction Amanda needed to take this opportunity by the horns as she quickly shuffled to the side and swept the man off his feet with a good swing at the back of his knees. The mob leader yelped once again as he collapsed pathetically on the ground.

When she finished the red-haired adventurer took off to the wagon, knocking out a couple of the bandits to clear the way as she climbed onto the back of the caravan, "Go, go, go!" she yelled at Jasminka to get a move on.

"Hyah!" The strong girl shouted as she snapped the reigns, making the horses go into a full gallop to get out of there.

A massive dust cloud enveloped around the mob group, causing a couple of them to cough or be temporarily blinded.

Once their leader gathered his bearings, he glared at them, "Don't just stand there you idiots! Get them!"

Far ahead, Akko and the green team were going full speed ahead. It was exhilarating. The brunette found herself laughing in delight as the breeze whipped into her face.

"See? Didn't I tell ya that we had everything under control?" Amanda yelled against the wind.

"I'm sorry that I ever doubted you!" Akko replied.

From there, in the blink of an eye, the thieves had managed to catch up to them as they rode their own horses. There were no more than four men including their leader, who obviously led the charge despite being injured. Two bandits started shooting arrows at them from horseback, and the girls tried their best to duck and shield themselves as much as they could on the wagon.

The red-eyed girl looked annoyed, "Wow. These guys don't give up, do they?"

"Well, let's kick it up a notch then!" The short-haired tomboy exclaimed, having her staff tightly clutched in her hands. She then looked at Constanze, "Hey Cons, you think you can cover me while under fire?"

The small adventurer gave a thumbs up in response, already being one step ahead as she started loading another crossbow bolt.

"What a trooper!" Amanda praised with a grin.

"Uh, what should I do?" Akko asked, pointing to herself.

"Make sure that these bastards don't get anywhere near the cargo." The redhead ordered, "Oh, and be sure to cover Constanze while she loads her weapon." she added.

"I don't know what you girls are planning to do, but you'd better do it fast!" Jasminka spoke exasperatedly, doing her best to avoid her fare share of arrows while driving the cart. "It's getting difficult to drive!"

No sooner had the strong girl said that, the villains shot two more arrows toward their direction, both of them missing once again...

SHUNK

Constanze managed to aim and fire another bolt towards the thieves. The dart had embedded itself on one of the archers' legs. The man screamed in pain, ultimately losing his balance as he fell off his horse. Despite being without a rider, the horse just kept going.

Four left.

Almost without warning, Amanda took a leap of faith as she jumped from the caravan over to the bandit's horse, landing a bit clumsily on the saddle once she stuck the landing. "Oh, shit!"

From there the remaining thugs decided to split into two groups: one of the thieves squared off against Amanda while the other three went ahead to try and raid the wagon.

"Akko! Don't let any of them get near the cart!" Jasminka instructed, whipping the horses. They needed no encouragement; they snorted and urged themselves to go faster.

"R-right!" Akko nodded nervously.

There were three sharp thuds as arrows buried themselves on her side of the cart that she'd been shielding herself in. Akko shakily came up on her feet with her weapon drawn and when she did, she just barely managed to deflect a blade that swung at her head.

What the hell?! The brunette thought in shock.

She didn't have time to really analyze anything. The thief whipped his sword at her midsection, and Akko twisted to avoid it as she blocked another blow to her neck. At the rate they were going, the red-eyed girl would barely get the chance for a counter attack, even more so with her lack of combat skills.

Luckily, Constanze was ready to support Akko. Once she finished loading her weapon, she pointed her crossbow again and pulled the trigger at them. The bolt hit the man's horse by stabbing it in the neck, however the arrow itself was not enough to render the horse useless but the hit was enough to spook the stallion as it did an abrupt stop, bucking his rider off the saddle.

Three more left to evade.

The brunette sighed in relief once she got a breather, "Thanks Constanze!"

Constanze merely nodded while showing a small smile, or at least she tried to as a bulky, calloused hand suddenly grabbed hold of her ponytail. The leader had decided to take a leap of faith of his own as he jumped off from his horse and onto the side of the caravan, catching the small adventurer by surprise from behind.

Constanze wailed in pain, tears welling up in her eyes as she was forced to let go of her weapon. She brought her hands up in an attempt to make the man let go of her hair, but his grip proved to be too strong.

The boss man sneered, "I outta repay you for injuring my shoulder..."

Weapon drawn, the red-eyed girl charged towards them, "Get your grimy hands off her!"

Instead of dodging, the thug met her head on as he single-handedly deflected Akko's arm, pushing the dagger away from him and clenched convulsively on her shirt. The brunette was lifted up and off the ground in seconds. She just barely managed to keep her instincts from kicking in and stabbing the knife into the leader's arm.

Her aggressor turned a dour glare at her, "You know, instead of playing hero... Why don't you play dead for me instead?!" he suggested.

And just like that, Akko was thrown off the cart. Rolling on the dirt, and miraculously not being stomped to death by the small stampede of horses, the brunette winced at the amount of bruises and grazes she earned. Once she finally came to a stop, she had no time to groan in pain or even get up to her knees as a strong, swift hand suddenly grabbed her shirt from behind and pulled Akko up and off the ground...

In a daze, the red-eyed girl shook her head and opened her eyes, only for them to widen in surprise when she realized she was hovering in mid-air while going at a moderate speed. "...Am I...flying?"

"You wish!" Amanda gave a sarcastic reply, currently struggling with riding the horse by holding its reigns and keeping a hold of her staff in her left hand, and of course keeping Akko aloft with her right.

A rather impressive rescue for the tomboy to pull off, but obviously she was not Jasminka when it came to the strength department. The strong girl could've single-handedly performed this feat in one fell swoop by pulling Akko up to the saddle. Unlike her, Amanda does not have the necessary arm strength to pull her friend up.

This rescue was way cooler in my head... The redhead thought to herself, letting out a heavy sigh, "Hey Akko, mind climbing up? You're kind of heavy."

With a nervous, "uh-huh...!" Akko lifted herself onto the saddle. "Thank you, Amanda," she finished.

"Don't thank me just yet," Amanda spoke, anger rising in her tone, "we still have to rescue Cons from the hands of that gorilla!" Finishing her sentence, Amanda whipped the reigns to allow the horse to close in on the carriage.

Constanze was about to suffer the same drop as Akko by the time they managed to catch up. The boss of the bandits hurled the poor girl like a ragdoll off of the wagon. "Akko, here!" Amanda shouted, forcing the pole she was previously using as a weapon into Akko's hands.

"What do you want me to do with this?!" Akko stammered, "W-why can't you do this yourself?!"

"Um, let's see..." The red-haired girl grumbled, "maybe it's because I had to pick someone up after they got a mouthful of dirt?" As she said this, she rotated the shoulder of the arm she had used to pick up Akko previously, as if it wasn't obvious.

"Oh, uh... sorry..." Akko quieted down. This didn't last long, she focused. Constanze was still in the air, and if she timed it right, she could snag her shirt onto the pole with ease. The only problem would be the same one Amanda had, holding on.

She lifted the pole in the air and willed it into her to keep it steady as the young girl was caught. "Don't worry Constaze, we've got you!" Akko yelled, sighing in relief that it worked.

"Nice catch, Akko!" Amanda complimented.

Akko felt a surge of emotions welling up in her. She really did a good job!

But this was cut short with some more choice words from Amanda, "Now throw her back."

"What?!" Akko yelled, a bit indignant that the moment was cut short.

"Throw her back, I'm sure I didn't stutter..."

"But why? You just saw what happened to both of us!"

"Well, she knows what she signed up for. Throw her back."

Akko sighed and followed instructions. She felt it was at least proper to inform Constanze of the situation.

"Hey, um... We're going to throw you back. Is that okay with you?" The brunette asked sheepishly.

Constanze just gave her regular thumbs up and seemed to be bracing for what was to come. It was then that Akko pulled her arms back and thrust them forward with as much might as she could. As the pole bent due to the force, the small girl was propelled back into the air.

Constanze soared through the air, tucking herself into a ball and doing a roll landing back onto the wagon. Safe.

"What the hell?!" The thief leader exclaimed, turning around to witness the small adventurer's comeback. "I thought I threw you overboard!"

Grabbing her discarded weapon, Constanze hurriedly readied her crossbow, trying to get a good aim of the bandit boss before he got close to her. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough as the man managed to get a hold of her and snatch her weapon away, however the thug dropped it soon after when he felt sudden weight jump onto his back...

The spirit of adventure must've awakened inside the brunette because Akko took a leap of faith from the horse she and Amanda were riding on onto the carriage. With the redhead's weapon in hand and with swift precision, Akko hooked the staff against the man's neck to hold him back.

"...Get off me!" The leader gasped, chocking as he tried his best to fight off his assailant.

Regardless of the man's efforts, Akko just held on tighter, "Now Constanze, shoot him now!" she yelled.

Surprised by this sudden turn of events, Constanze took her sweet time retrieving her crossbow before she finally recovered her bearings and took a shot. The bandit boss crumpled to the ground, feebly clutching at the blood gushing wound in his abdomen. Akko had fell to the ground with him, releasing her grip and headed towards Constanze, standing tall with her weapon at the ready in case the man tried anything else against them...

Luckily, they didn't have to worry.

"I've had just about enough of this nonsense!"

The thief yelped when he felt a strong, and yet surprisingly delicate hand grab him behind his neck, the other grabbing a generous amount of the man's coat as he was slowly being lifted up in the air.

Constanze's blue eyes light up in excitement while smiling up at their savior, putting her crossbow over her shoulder as she clapped in awe.

"Holy crap..." The red-eyed girl gasped in amazement, her grip on the staff slackening just the slightest bit before she adjusted her hold once again. Wait... If she's here, then-! "Jasminka! Who's driving the wagon?!"

"Yo~!" Amanda, who was now driving the cart, greeted them from the front. She looked over her shoulder at them, "We switched at the last second! It's only fair, ya?" she finished saying with a wink.

"Don't worry ladies, I'll take it from here." Jasminka reassured them.

And just like that the strong girl headed to the end of the wagon and with a powerful, precise throw she launched the bandit leader towards the last remaining grunts of his gang. The remaining two thieves had no choice but to halt their horses, but regardless of their actions they still collided with their boss and fell off their horses into a heap of limbs on the ground.

The girls cheered in victory as they rode off into the distance, escaping to safety.

Akko and the green team had made it to Wells by sundown, passing through the entrance once they got the "All clear" from the guardsmen. The brunette hardly remembers how the city looked like, mainly because exhaustion had finally set in once the adrenaline and excitement wore off, and so she dozed off.

The next time she opened her eyes, she was startled awake when the wagon suddenly did an abrupt stop, which made Akko fall off her seat and bump her head against one of the crates...

"Ouch...!" The red-eyed girl whimpered, gently rubbing the sore spot on her forehead.

"Oh, shit! My bad, Akko!" Amanda apologized, "I forgot that you were asleep. We're already here." she informed her.

"Where's here-" Akko got up to her feet, only to be tackled back to the ground by Jasminka. As she fell, everything felt as if it was going in slow motion and the brunette could've sworn she saw an arrow zipping by, embedding itself onto something in the distance. T-That could've killed me! She thought in shock.

Constanze and Jasminka were hovering over the young girl in concern. "Are you alright, Akko? You didn't get hurt, right?" The pink-haired adventurer asked.

"I-I'm fine, I'm fine." The red-eyed girl reassured, finally sitting up to look around her surroundings... "Where are we...?"

They certainly weren't in Wells any more, that's for sure. The landscape of the city drastically changed into a dark, dense forest. The lack of light in these woods was rather ridiculous for the brunette, she could hardly look up at the sky with how thick the tree branches are, their leaves obscuring as much sunlight as possible.

"Oi! Are you insane?! You could've killed my friend here!" Amanda yelled in outrage towards a small crowd of people.

"You are in no position to make demands, human." A feminine rough, authoritative voice spoke loud and clear, snorting indignantly.

Akko's eyes widened in surprise when she gazed upon these women as well as their current predicament...

They were surrounded.

More female warriors popped up from the trees and bushes in the forest, each of them having their weapons at the ready ranging from axes, clubs, knifes, spears, swords, and even bows and arrows. These women looked strong, intimidating, but most importantly they seemed like the kind of people who would want to do things now –despite of the possible consequences– and ask questions later. Their armor as well as their clothing mostly consisted of animal skins, primarily that of a Boar, which gave them more of an exotic look. The other thing that they had in common is that all of them wore a single identical earring on their right ear.

They're... Amazons? I guess they must be our clients. Akko thought to herself, feeling her face settle into a scowl. I wonder why they act so aggressive towards us...

Regardless of how things looked, Amanda let out a chuckle, "Well, they sure do know how to do a warm welcome."

"Amanda, please keep your sarcasm to a minimum." Jasminka hissed out in reprimand.

"Right, right, my bad." The tomboy apologized as she decided to take things seriously. Amanda stood up from her seat and jumped off the carriage, "Ladies, it's okay. We don't mean any harm. My team and I are a part of the LWS Guild, and we were tasked to deliver this cargo to you." she assured them.

"Excellent. My name is Athena, and I am the group leader of this troop." The Boar warrior introduced herself. She's a tall, fairly buff woman with alabaster skin. Her long mane was black, which cascaded down in waves over her shoulders. And finally, to further adorn her beauty were her eyes, of which are a nice shade of lilac that brimmed with intelligence. "Is the Glamour intact?" she asked, but it was voiced as a demand.

Amanda nodded, showing a small grin, "Absolutely. All six crates are unharmed, and there's more than enough Glamour for all of you."

Athena looked satisfied from hearing the adventurer's response. She turned to one of her comrades and said, "Inform the chief." and as soon as the other Amazon left, Athena continued to give instructions, "As for the rest of you... Search the crates." she ordered.

How can they be so- Akko's train of thought no longer remained as her own as she recklessly voiced out, "What is wrong with you people?! You don't trust us, is that it?! We already told you-"

"AKKO!" Amanda's voice rang loud and clear for all of them to hear, and the brunette flinched in visible shame, already knowing that she did something she wasn't supposed to.

In response the Boar leader set her sharp, cold, lilac gaze on the young girl. Clearly, she looked displeased. "It seems that this human does not know how to hold her own tongue... Shall I sever it for you? Maybe then you will learn some manners and think twice before speaking out of turn again."

"My sincerest apologies, Your Grace." The red-haired tomboy began with a heart-felt apology, sounding serious as she fell down to her knees and bowed her head in respect to their client. "My friend is rather new to this occupation. It is my fault as her leader for not teaching her the full aspects of this job. The blame falls solely on me."

When Amanda finished speaking, the forest and everything else around them fell into a deathly silence. Nobody dared to speak, nobody dared to move a single muscle. The only sounds coming from the rustling trees due to the wind. It was suffocating, and the quiet was slowly evidently killing Akko from the inside. The brunette feared the possibility of Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka suffering a horrible punishment because of her reckless actions. Just thinking about it made Akko's entire body shake in fright.

After what seemed to be like an eternity, Athena finally spoke, "Raise your head, mortal. You are forgiven. This time."

"Thank you, Your Grace." Amanda replied gratefully.

The Boar leader merely snorted, ignoring the adventurer. She then snapped her fingers to catch her troop's attention, "Don't just stand there! Check the crates! We're burning daylight." she practically barked at them to get a move on.

The rest of their exchange went without further incident. After verifying that their requested item was indeed there, each of the Amazons carried out a box as they filtered out one by one into the forest, venturing deeper into the woods and out of sight. The few warriors that remained still had their weapons drawn and aimed towards Akko and the green team...

Athena signaled to her subordinates to stand down, "You humans have about ten minutes to make yourselves scarce. Otherwise, we'll hunt you down." she warned them.

Despite receiving such a threat, Amanda gave a warm smile as she got back on the wagon. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"The same goes to you as well. Thank you for your service." The Amazon thanked them, though her tone was flat. She then added, "Our Chieftain will make sure to compensate you for a job well done. He will send the payment straight to the LWS within the next couple of days."

"Thank you very much~!" The short-haired tomboy sang merrily upon hearing this news, snapping the reigns of the horses to get a move on before their time limit expired. "Adieu!"

Dusk overtook Glastonbury within a blink of an eye, and it was at this time when the citizens enjoy the nightly activities that the small town had to offer. The main bustle attraction being the local taverns.

The first things you'll immediately notice upon entering such an establishment was blaring conversations all around along with a strong scent of alcohol, but at times it would be balanced out with the pleasant aroma of food. The patrons are just as rambunctious as they played cards or billiards, sometimes they would even have needless bets on drinking contests or on cockfighting, anything to make their time enjoyable.

For two particular women, it was gossip, or so other people think. Pubs are one of, if not, the best places to hold important business. The environment was naturally loud and so it would be near impossible to have potential eavesdroppers, unless they were sitting close on those kinds of meetings.

A blue-haired woman was coughing up a storm when she accidentally choked on her drink, a slight consequence for reacting to something her friend said.

"Wait a moment," Ursula straightened her glasses once she gathered her composure. She then started interrogating her companion, "Who exactly made you think that someone looks like me?"

"Oh, come on, Ursa." Zsofia teased her, rolling her eyes as she did so. "It should be obvious. That girl you've talked to back at the LWS, who apparently claims to have met you somewhere else before, need I go on? The point is she reminded me of yourself when you were much younger. You used to have so much energy, so much drive, passion, charisma, and not to mention curiosity with a need of adventure to boot! You just can't deny it." She then sighed in content, reminiscing on the past. "Those were the days..."

"But I genuinely don't remember meeting her before..." Ursula replied honestly, absentmindedly staring down at her half-empty wine glass.

Zsofia rested her chin in her hands, humming as she stated, "Well, the girl definitely wasn't lying. She was sincere when she questioned you about it."

"Nothing gets past you, you're basically a walking lie detector." The adventurer said with a smile.

"Hey, don't praised me too much now, even I have my days..." The shifter admitted. She then gave a serious stare, "Are you sure that you haven't met that girl before? Maybe you ran into her somewhere before you changed your identity? Or, perhaps you saw her on a festival? Probably on one of your missions? There has to be something." she gave suggestions.

"I don't know, I really don't know!" Ursula answered, a bit exasperated as she took off her glasses in order to pinch the bridge of her nose. She could already feel a headache coming on. "I definitely don't remember her from any of my missions, and the last time I went to a festival as the real me was ten years ago..." She sighed heavily, feeling the shame of that horrible night creeping up on her again. It was a moment or two before she started talking again, "I certainly can't remember someone from the top of my head, especially if it was a decade ago."

"Then you, my dear, must have a terrible memory." Zsofia gave a snarky retort, to which Ursula swiftly responded with a kick to the shin. The green-haired woman's breath hitched in her throat, biting her bottom lip in order not to draw attention to herself, "I'll shut up now..." she whispered pitifully.

"Serves you right." The blue-haired adventurer huffed in satisfaction, finishing the rest of her drink.

Zsofia merely whined as she laid her head on the table, looking as if someone had kicked her pet dog. As soon as she let her head down, she lifted it up just as quickly, her nose picking up a couple of familiar scents. "Speak of the devil..."

At the sound of her friend's voice, the adventurer turned her head towards the entrance of the tavern. A small group of young women walked into the establishment, and it didn't take long for Ursula to identify the green team along with the new girl she saw earlier during the day. Amanda talked to the proprietor first, possibly to say what they wanted from the menu, before the girls had decided to seat themselves on a table that was relatively close to theirs. They settled into idle chatter as they waited for their drinks and meals to arrive.

Admittedly, Ursula grew curious about their conversation, but unfortunately she could hardly hear their talk at all over the blaring noise in the pub...

Ugh, if only I could read lips... The blue-haired woman thought in frustration, pouting all the while. A chuckle caught her attention, which made Ursula look at her companion.

Zsofia merely smiled as she pointed to her ears, "I gotcha."

Pretty soon after Zsofia's and Ursula's subtle arrangement the proprietor had arrived at the green team's table with their drinks on hand, leaving soon after to tend to other patrons.

Akko and the green team had erupted with delight as they clunked their mugs together. "CHEERS!"

"Let's congratulate ourselves on a job well done ladies!" Amanda spoke up with a huge grin, "Barnat will definitely be a happy camper once he finds out we finished the mission!" she remarked.

"Here, here!" Jasminka cheered merrily as she quickly finished her drink by chugging it down.

The redhead chuckled, "Really? Jasna, you've got to slow down and enjoy the booze. It's not like it's going to run away from you." she teased her teammate.

"Yeah, yeah," The strong girl muttered dismissively before she cut to the chase. "More importantly, don't you think that we cut it close today?"

Amanda let out a low hum of acknowledgment, "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean, Amanda." Jasminka said seriously.

"And, I already told you and Cons that I'm trying to test something." The short-haired tomboy replied calmly, taking a small sip of her drink.

Surprisingly enough the pink-haired adventurer accepted that response, and Constanze too considering she gave a simple nod, Akko however...

"Wait. Testing what? Do you mean me?" The brunette asked while pointing to herself. She soon followed up with another question after that, "Was this whole mission some kind of test of courage or something?"

"Hmm, not exactly. It's more like..." Amanda thought about it for a moment, only to let out a chuckle soon afterward before admitting, "Okay, yes, it was a test. Those thugs that we ran into definitely weren't part of the plan, but having the Boar Clan being our clients certainly was."

Akko tilted her head in confusion, "Why?"

The questions just kept coming from the red-eyed girl, and Constanze along with Jasminka were giving rather hesitant glances toward their leader, who seemed to be taking everything in stride.

"I wanted to see how'd you react toward magic folk." The red-haired adventurer finally responded.

Jasminka's posture visibly stiffened in her chair, eyeing her leader as she spoke with a warning tone, "Amanda-"

"Relax, Jasna. I know what I'm doing." Amanda interrupted in order to calm her friend, "Besides, it's not like Akko screamed the word 'freak' the whole time we were going through the mission. Let's give her a chance, ya?"

The strong girl finally sighed in defeat, "Fine. You win."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the green team, Akko began to nervously play with her hands as she mumbled, "...What about magic folk?"

"I don't know where you're from, but in case you haven't noticed..." The redhead began before she trailed off, possibly to try and think of a way to better explain the matter, "People with unique abilities are not exactly well accepted around these parts, or more like anywhere." she finished saying for a lack of better words.

"How come?"

"They just aren't."

Akko looked bothered by that answer, to the point where she finally stopped playing with her hands and proceeded to shake her leg under the table, "That's hardly fair, don't you think? I mean, why would you want to start something if there really isn't a reason behind the conflict?" she asked exasperatedly.

"That's the sad, frustrating truth of it all, Akko. Nobody knows." Amanda gave a retort of her own. "People just can't accept anything that's not part of the norm. That's because they're afraid. Nowadays, folks would rather take action now than face potential harm in the near future."

"That's just awful..." The brunette whispered.

"Yep, fear is one hell of an emotion." The tomboy sighed, leaning back against her seat to stare up at the ceiling. "Similar to love, fear can also be irrational. As such, humans are capable of doing unspeakable things when they feel threatened."

Constanze did a series of hand signs, to which Jasminka happily translated by saying, "Not that all humans are bad or anything." she quickly added, "That's why the LWS exists. The Last Wednesday Society is a small organization that helps those in need. It operates as a safe haven for humans and magical creatures, and as the green team... we usually take a lot of missions and side jobs that are usually illegal and dangerous to the general public."

"Why are most of the jobs illegal?" Akko asked.

"Those that rule over us consider it as treason against mankind for assisting the unknown. For example, if people were to find out that we helped the Boar Clan today, then they would immediately consider us to be beyond help. They'll say things like, 'You sold your soul to the devil!' and 'You've become brainwashed!', not to mention that they'll automatically brand you as a witch." Amanda exaggerated, despite it being the truth.

"W-witches?" The red-eyed girl stuttered in fright, but not for the reasons the green team might think.

"Uh-huh," The pink-haired adventurer hummed in affirmative. "In remote villages, once they capture you, they'll put you through different torture methods before they put you to death. They all differ depending where you are, but the outcome will still be the same. And in the cities-"

Amanda cut in with an elaborate explanation, "In cities, like Blytonbury for example, when they capture you they'll take you straight to Appleton for a Witch Trial. It's a place where you have the right to 'defend' yourself against your crimes, as if..." she mumbled bitterly, rolling her eyes while she did so.

Akko swallowed heavily, her fingers fiddling with her drink that still remained untouched, "...Then, what's the point of a trial if you really can't defend yourself?"

"They want to make it look 'fair' for the general public, they want to keep them involved to everything that happens in the city, and they do all of that in order to gain their trust." Jasminka helpfully translated what Constanze was trying to say in sign language, continuing as she said, "People can make their own opinions based on what's going on around them, and by watching the Witch Trials as they happen they will be influenced to come to the conclusion that magic folk are evil and need to be put down."

"And if you ever find yourself in Appleton, consider your life to be forfeit. Everyone sitting in that courtroom will be against you. One. Hundred. Percent." The red-haired adventurer warned, tossing back the rest of her booze before she slammed her now empty mug on the table. She let out a heavy sigh before she talked again, "They'll automatically accuse you of doing witchcraft, and they'll ignore every single word that you have to say for your defense. The public won't care. People would do anything to safe their own skin, and it doesn't help that scumbags are taking advantage of these terrible times to pin their crimes on innocent people."

None of these things ever happened in my village. I guess I got off lucky... Should I even be glad for that? Akko wondered.

The brunette snapped out of her musings when the bartender arrived with a tray full of delicious food, "Here you are, ladies! Hope you enjoy!"

"Thank you very much!" Jasminka happily thanked the man on everyone's behalf, clapping her hands in joy.

"Oi! Akko, you've barely touched your beer. What gives?" Amanda spoke up once the proprietor walked away, noticing that small detail.

Akko gave a shy smile, "I-I'm not much of a drinker to be honest..." she admitted.

The tomboy's eyes widened in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Just then Constance began to rapidly tap the table, grabbing everyone's attention as she signed, "I'll drink it if she really doesn't want it."

Amanda smiled as she slid Akko's mug towards their small companion, "Knock yourself out Cons!"

"It's for the best. I'm just glad it won't go to waste." Akko chuckled.

"Agreed. Now, let's start eating before the food gets cold!" Jasminka told them.

From there, their conversation had ended and so Akko along with the green team silently ate their meals. Once they finished, the tavern had grown quite full and twice as noisier as before.

"I'll be back. I'm going to get us more refills." Amanda mentioned to them as she got up from her chair.

The strong girl had rose from her seat as well, "Let me come with you." she offered. "I'm thinking of getting more of that delicious chili again."

"More food? Jasna, you really need to slow down." The tomboy chuckled as the two of them started heading towards the bar.

Jasminka smiled, "Why slow down when I still have room for more? After all, the night is still young."

"So it is." Amanda agreed.

It took a while, but the proprietor had finally managed to get their order and give them what they wanted once he finally had time to serve them. Amanda and Jasminka were on their way back to their table when one of the tavern patrons accidentally bumped against the tomboy, causing the beer tray that Amanda had in her hands to spill over her outfit and drenching her with booze...

"Oh my..." Jasminka mumbled over the calamity that just ensued.

"Great. This is just bloody great...!" Amanda whispered angrily under her breath, purposely dropping the tray of drinks on the floor. Might as well since the damn thing was empty, and it's not like she will get in trouble since the pub itself was full to the brim with people. Still pissed off, and rightfully so the red-haired adventurer turned her attention to the young woman in front of her, grabbing the young lass by the shoulder, "Oi! Watch where you're going! You owe me and my team some drinks, ya hear me?!"

Being forced to turn around, the girl's hazel eyes widened in recognition, "...Amanda?"

"...Hannah?" Anger forgotten, Amanda's eyes widened in surprise as well. She took a step back, mumbling to herself for a moment before she spoke up, "H-how have you been? ...It's, it's been a while..."

"I've been well, or as well as I could be." Hannah admitted. She then noticed the redhead's soaked clothes, "O-oh, I'm so sorry, did I do that?" she said apologetically. "Please, let me make it up to you."

"No, no, no, don't worry about it! My clothes will dry, and I can just...buy more drinks." Amanda chuckled, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Are you sure? I still feel bad..."

"I said that it's okay Han, don't worry about it."

While the two redheads were distracted with each other, Jasminka merely stood in the sidelines watching them as she ate her plate of chili, an amused smile making its way on her face over the spoon in her mouth. "Hmm~hmm..."

"Hannah, are you alright?" A familiar voice came to their right, coming to a stop once she noticed two members of the green team. "Amanda, Jasminka, it's been a long time. You girls back from another mission, I assume?"

"Hey, Barbara." The short-haired tomboy replied in a weak greeting, not that she wasn't happy to see her or anything but Amanda was in total shock that she was even talking to them in the first place. Clearing her throat she asked, "So, what are you girls doing here? Girls night out?"

The raven-haired girl rolled her eyes, huffing, "I wish... It's more like we're drowning our sorrows, mostly for Hannah, she's..."

"That's enough, Barbara." The auburn-haired noble hissed out in warning, which promptly made her friend shut up.

At hearing this, Amanda narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Oh? Enough of what?"

"Please Amanda, you don't want to get involved in this." Hannah pleaded with the tomboy.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm already involved." Amanda lamented to inform, crossing her arms as she began interrogating, "Especially, since you've been acting weird since we started talking. Usually, you would do a big, dramatic sigh while rolling your eyes and vocally complain about seeing me, and instead you're being all nice and apologetic... Excuse me for saying so, but something's up."

"Be that as it may, I do have manners." The auburn-haired noble countered, her voice holding a bit of fire as she spoke, "And for your sake, I implore you to let this matter go Amanda." she begged her once again.

However, Hannah's pleas went unanswered as Amanda did not seem to get no for an answer. The red-haired adventurer stepped forward, grabbing Hannah by the shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye, "Han, what is going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?" she asked.

Hannah remained silent, avoiding Amanda's gaze entirely.

The silence was killing the tomboy, and quite frankly Amanda would rather have an angry, screaming Hannah than a quiet one any day. The girl wouldn't even look at her, almost as if she was guilty over something, but before the redhead could inquire about it...

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to unhand my fiancé." A new, unrecognizable, and yet oh so familiar male voice jumped into the fray.

Hannah's breath hitched in her throat, her hazel eyes widening so as she escaped Amanda's grasp. She turned around to face the man, "H-hello, love. I certainly didn't expect you to be here of all places..." she said weakly in greeting her future husband.

"That's because you've forced me to come fetch you out of this rat hole." The blonde nobleman spoke harshly, an arrogant scowl settling on his noble features. "Honestly...making me, Louis Blackwell, the noble son of the minister of defense to come search for you on such an unsightly establishment was definitely not part of my agenda today. Consider yourself lucky because if it weren't for our parents' arrangement between our families, I wouldn't have bothered to come here. Trust me."

Louis Blackwell was a young man with blue eyes, pale skin, and he had blonde, trimmed hair that was swept sideways on either side of his head. Most people in Blytonbury and Glastonbury know him to be an arrogant, malicious man just like his father, Mr. Blackwell, but despite the boy's reputation in town it certainly won't stop him to get what he wants.

At seeing this pathetic excuse of a man, Amanda couldn't help but laugh, "Are you fucking serious?! Louis Blackwell is your fiancé! Now, THAT'S funny!" she howled hysterically as tears welled up in her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself as her sides started cramping up due to the exertion.

Louis did not look amused at hearing Amanda's crass humor, "You think this is funny, do you?" he asked.

"Very~!" The short-haired tomboy giggled breathlessly, finally coming down from her high. When she gathered her composure, Amanda looked at Hannah with her usual, casual grin and said, "Okay Han, you totally got me. That joke was very hilarious."

Hannah remained silent once again, avoiding the redhead's gaze.

Confused, Amanda let out a nervous chuckle, "Come on, Han. This is all just a joke, right? A very, terrible prank, right?" her smile was wiped clean off her face, and she swallowed heavily in order to put out the fire in her throat. "...Han?"

There was still no answer from Hannah, and even Barbara and Jasminka, who stopped eating at this point tensed at the sudden serious atmosphere around them.

Louis, however was not phased as he finally took action by grabbing his fiancé's arm, "Come along, Hannah. We're leaving."

"O-okay..." The auburn-haired girl responded quietly as she was being dragged against her will.

"Let. Her. Go."

The blonde nobleman stopped in his tracks along with Hannah, turning around to face the redhead, "Excuse me? Do you know who you're talking to?" he asked, but it was voiced as a threat.

"Don't make me repeat myself..." Amanda spoke through clenched teeth, balling her hands into fists.

Louis sneered, "Come now, O'Neill. I've done nothing wrong. I'm just being a gentleman by ensuring that my wife-to-be is safely escorted home. Her father would surely worry."

"Here's the thing, Blackwell. Even if your so-called 'relationship' is true, she sure as hell doesn't look comfortable around you, and that's a fact!" The red-haired adventurer stated.

"That may be true, but it's not like she has a choice on the matter." The blonde nobleman said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, "It's already been decided. Her fate is sealed."

From the other side of the tavern, Ursula straightened up in her seat as she witnessed the commotion from afar.

"Oh dear, this will not end well..." The blue-haired woman commented to herself. She turned to look at her companion, who was fast asleep on the table, and so Ursula began to shake her awake. "Zsofia! Zsofia, wake up."

The shifter's face scrunched up in displeasure, whining as she opened her tired eyes, "...Wassup, Ursie~?"

"By the nine, are you drunk?" Ursula questioned as she cupped Zsofia's cheeks with her hands. Asking was pretty much pointless because it was plain as day to notice her friend's flushed cheeks.

Zsofia hiccuped, giggling, "...Mooybe~."

"Not good." The blue-haired adventurer sighed in distress, gently settling her friend's head back down to her folded arms again. She trailed her fingers through the shifter's hair, hoping that the motion would make her go back to sleep, "Nevermind Zsofia, I think I can take over from here." she reassured.

Instead of being lulled to sleep, the green-haired woman swatted Ursula's hand away, "No, no, no! I, um, uake, wass guing on?" she slurred, following Ursula's line of sight to the commotion. "...issh hat, a ight?"

Ursula started to look nervous. "Um, Zsofia, I really don't think that you should get involved..."

"Locks...ike...fun, me join!"

"What?! No, that's a bad idea! Zsofia, where do you think you're going? Oh no...!"

Seemingly helpless to convince her companion to sit down, the shifter managed to maneuver through the crowd on unsteady feet and towards the soon-to-be uproar...

"Hay~!" Zsofia spoke excitedly in greeting, hugging the angry redhead from behind, "Wass all de hubbub bout?" she slurred for everyone to hear.

Rage had momentarily dissipated as Amanda quickly turned her head to the side in order to save her nose from the invasion, not that it helped much. She made a weird face as she brought a hand up to plug her nose and complained, "Bloody hell! You reek of booze more than I do, if that's even possible!"

The green-haired woman pouted, "Hay new, hat's berry rude!" she then let her eyes wander to the engaged couple and she growled at the unsightly sight before her.

"Whoa, Zsofia, please stop with the motorboat. I don't like where this is going..." The tomboy mumbled, her body going visibly stiff in the woman's arms.

"Is this how you're going to let things go, Amanda?" Zsofia whispered, suddenly sober and alert.

Amanda's eyes widened at hearing the sudden shift in Zsofia's tone. "What?"

"Are you just going to sit back and let this towheaded noble walk away with someone that's clearly precious to you?"

"I-I..."

"You weren't lying you know, you were right on the money. She doesn't like this arrangement as much as you do."

"But... he said that everything has been-"

"Decided? It may be in motion, but it's not set in stone yet." The shifter reminded an important fact of the situation at hand. "There's still time."

"Okay, I am so confused. Are you stopping me or encouraging me to get into a fight?" Amanda asked, keeping her eyes on Hannah the entire time.

Zsofia thought about her answer for a moment, ultimately sighing as she finally released her hold on the tomboy. "Yes, I should be stopping you from making the worst possible decision in your life, especially since this little fiasco can bring the LWS trouble due to your association, but that's entirely up to you. You're your own person Amanda, and who I am to tell you not to fight for what you care about?"

Amanda let the shifter's words sink in, heavily weighing her options. On one hand, she could beat the living daylights out of Louis Blackwell, but on the other... There will be severe repercussions for her actions. Not only that, but the LWS Guild will also suffer due to her association with them and it will certainly not look good on improving matters between humans and magical creatures in the long run.

And so, with a heavy heart, the tomboy decided to let the matter go. Or, that's what she would like to say but what happened next definitely made her blood boil in pure rage...

Hannah winced at the sudden grip on her arm, exclaiming, "Ow, Louis! Don't pull so hard, you're hurting me!"

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you would stop standing around like a buffoon! Now, let's go! I'm ready to get out of this rat hole-"

"Hey, Blackwell."

One moment the blonde noble felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he turned his head... WHAM!

Amanda didn't hesitate to give him a shiner on his right eye. Louis let out a loud yelp, letting go of Hannah's arm as he brought his hands up to cover his injury. The next thing he felt was a powerful kick to his gut, which knocked the wind out of him and Louis numbly stumbled backwards until he bumped into one of the bar patrons.

This bar patron already had a bit too much to drink tonight and so obviously he wasn't too happy to have been pushed, grumbling as he took a generous fistful of Louis' jacket and pushed him away. "Hey, watch it!"

And unfortunately for the nobleman, this time he stumbled upon Jasminka and the small collision caused the two of them to fall to the ground, along with some food...

"...Bloody hell!" Louis groaned as he collected his breath, having his right hand cover his right eye while the other was on his stomach.

And before he could even try to get up on his feet...

"That. Was. A. Waste. Of. Good. CHILI!"

For the second time tonight, the blonde man let out another yelp, but this time it came out more like a pathetic whimper as his right arm was taken captive and the next thing Louis knew... he was lifted up in the air for a brief moment, and then he came crashing down onto one of the tavern tables. The instant he felt his back slam against hard wood along with a loud, audible pop on his right shoulder that made him scream from the top of his lungs because of the sudden intense pain that followed soon afterward. Louis' yelling could be heard throughout the entire pub, disrupting the atmosphere as silence struck the building.

The one that managed to react to the commotion was the bartender, who quickly maneuvered behind the bar counter to go stop the commotion, "Hey, break it up right now! I don't want any fights in my tavern!"

However, Jasminka wasn't quite done yet as she finally swung Louis around like a ragdoll towards the bar, and evidently the proprietor of the establishment got knocked over by a flying noble, the back of the man's head bashing against the bar counter as he fell down to the ground. The bartender was down and out for the count, and Louis followed right behind him as the blonde's battered body collided with the large shelve that was full with a variety of drinks, some of them crashing down and drenching Louis with different kinds of booze and wines which no doubt ruined his noble clothing...

After Amanda's and Jasminka's show of dominance was over, the building became absolute pandemonium as most of the patrons went into a frenzy. They took the liberty of heading towards the bar to try and get their hands on as many drinks as possible since there was no supervision, but in doing so the majority of them started fighting one another and soon enough the entire place became a free-for-all bar brawl.

Before things got too messy for their liking, Barbara grabbed hold of Hannah's hand and dragged her out of the pub. Amanda and Jasminka were pretty much part of the brawl since they were pretty much out of their minds and needed to let out some steam, and finally Akko and Constanze had ducked for cover under their table since they were too scared to move out of their save zone.

Ugh... If I knew that things were going to turn out this way, I would've stayed at the manor! The brunette thought irritably, desperately wanting to be anywhere else but here at the moment. Hmm... What the- Just as she thought that, Akko could've sworn that she saw a cat and a wolf exiting the back of the pub, but she wasn't really sure because of all the mess of limbs as a couple of fighting patrons drifted to the back of the establishment during the commotion, obscuring her view of not only the weird animals but also a potential exit out of this chaos. Sneaking through the back would be near impossible by this point...

Before the red-eyed girl could contemplate any further, Constanze pulled at her sleeve to catch her attention.

"Please don't tell me that we're joining the fight. I had enough adventure for one day..." Akko practically begged her, even going as far as to whimper.

Luckily, the small adventurer shook her head in response. She grumbled as she pointed to the front entrance, and to further emphasize their escape route she pointed to a generous amount of tables that led a path to the entrance.

"Constanze, you're a genius!" The brunette praised, already crawling under the tables as she lead the path towards their freedom. "Let's get out of here!"

Unfortunately, things are never this simple...

As soon as Akko and Constanze finally made their way outside of the tavern, the girls were immediately surrounded by the city guards.

"Don't move!" The captain of this squadron yelled at them.

Both adventurers stopped in their tracks and slowly brought their hands up in surrender, and the guards didn't waste any time in apprehending them, tying ropes around their wrists as well as confiscating their weapons.

"Ouch!" The red-eyed girl winced when the officer pulled a bit too tightly on her restraints, "Not so tight! Can you please loosen them up just a bit?" she asked.

"And have you escape, not on my watch." Said the captain, kicking Akko at the back of her knees to force her to kneel on the ground. He then proceeded to do the same thing to Constanze, "You two are under arrest for robbery, vandalism and disruption of peace, and so will the others inside the tavern." he informed them, signaling his men to infiltrate the chaotic pub.

"WHAT?!" Akko screeched in outrage over what she just heard, "We aren't even part of the bar fight! My friend and I were just trying to get out of it unscathed-"

The rest of Akko's explanation died on her lips since she received a hard, swift backhand slap to the face, his heavy signet ring no doubt breaking skin as the force of it caused Akko to be knocked down. The brunette coughed a bit to gather her bearings, spitting out a bit of blood due to accidentally biting the inside of her cheek. She definitely wouldn't be surprised if she got a bruise later.

"Save your excuses for when you get to Appleton."

Akko's eyes widened in horror, remembering Amanda's words concerning the place, "A-Appleton? Come on! We didn't even do anything of what you accused us for! You can't just-"

"I said, shut up!" The captain yelled as he delivered a swift kick to the girl's stomach.

The red-eyed girl gasped when she felt the air being knocked out of her lungs and she heaved in an effort to desperately catch her breath. "...A-arrest...innocent...people..."

The guard seemed to be getting more and more irritated whenever Akko spoke, already at his wits end as he was prepared subdue the teen yet again...

"...Op it!"

The man stopped just as he was about to deliver another blow to the brunette. He turned to look at Constanze, who was giving him the most harsh, intimidating glare she could muster. "What did you just say?" He asked, daring her to speak again.

The blue-haired adventurer swallowed heavily, briefly licking her lips as she said, "Op it. Op urting her..."

She...she can talk? Akko thought to herself in surprise, not believing her own ears but it was indeed Constanze's voice. Her voice was small, soft, and muddled to which made Akko come to the conclusion that Constanze's speech was affected somehow. By what, she wasn't sure, but you really had to be silent in order to hear the small girl talk that's for sure.

The captain sneered, and that sneer alone made Akko's skin crawl with goosebumps and at the same time she felt burning rage swelling inside of her as he spoke, "Alright, I'll stop. Just be sure to teach your friend to stay silent, if you catch my drift. It'll save her a lifetime of vocalization..."

After the guard finished saying those last words, he notified one of his subordinates to keep an eye on them before he finally went inside the tavern to check on his men.

"Geez, what the hell is his problem?" Akko whispered irritably, finally managing to lift herself up on her knees. That simple task was much harder with her wrists being tied behind her back, but she managed somehow. The brunette then looked at her small companion, who hung her head as she mindlessly stared at the ground. "Thank you, Constanze. I appreciate that you stood up for me against that jerk."

The blue-haired adventurer nodded slowly, muttering, "...He's...a...vastard."

"Yeah, he is..." Akko sighed in agreement, looking up at the night sky. It was a beautiful night. What the red-eyed girl wouldn't give to spend it by Diana's side to go on a stroll together, speaking of which... I wonder how she's doing.

It took three long days, but Diana had finally managed to take care of her medical responsibilities. She and Carter were finally heading back home to Wedinburgh, and deep down the heiress was brimming with excitement since she can hardly wait to see Akko again, but most of all Diana is looking forward to their promised outing. How could she not? It would it be their first excursion outside of the Cavendish property and the blonde wanted to make sure that Akko had fun, but it will all happen in good time...

At the moment Diana's mind was currently somewhere else as she sat inside the carriage, her arm prompted against the cart's window while looking at the moving scenery with a small, warm smile on her face. Ever since she had left the manor, Diana had been fantasizing about her return to Akko. Imagining the brunette's smile, her laugh, her warm hugs, just anything that would sent her heart aflutter.

Sadly, her daydreaming would have to wait...

"Carter, stop the carriage!"

The butler did as requested as he pulled on the reigns to halt the horses. Diana stuck her head out the carriage's window and called out, "Hannah? Barbara? What are you two doing out here so late into the evening?" she questioned them.

It was indeed her childhood friends. They were on the side of the rode, running away from something or someone, but they surprisingly stopped in their tracks once they heard Diana's voice. Both teenagers were quite frazzled at being called out, not to mention that they looked like a complete mess. Hannah's and Barbara's hair was disheveled, their clothes were all crumpled, their eyes were wide in fear as they approached the carriage.

"D-Diana? Is that really you?" Barbara asked, totally in shock at seeing the heiress. But she didn't wait for Diana to say something since she continued to talk, "Thank goodness! Y-you really need to go with us!" she said urgently.

The blonde was at a complete loss on what was going on. "Go where? What is going on?"

"We'll explain on the way, but right now we really need to go to Glastonbury!" Hannah told her, not wasting any time as she opened the carriage door and ushered Barbara inside.

I suppose I'll be home later than I would like... The young Cavendish thought in disappointment, feeling a bit guilty that she would have to make Akko wait just a bit longer. But her friends needed her help right now, and what kind of friend she would be if she turned them down in their time of need?

And so, from there Diana ordered Carter to drive the carriage towards Glastonbury.

Once they got there, Diana didn't know what to think. The town itself was like any other day, but when they arrived to a certain street... it was chaos. There was a total lock down since the city guardsmen were involved. The officers were currently in the process of apprehending a good amount of people from a local pub, leading them outside one by one and made them line up next to other restrained patrons by forcing them to kneel on the ground and not far from them Diana spotted a certain brunette...

"Akko?" The heiress spoke up in disbelieve, her eyes widening in shock at seeing her there with all those people.

Hannah and Barbara looked confused when they heard that name and as they tried to get her attention, Diana merely ignored them as her body seemed to move on its own and the young Cavendish didn't waste any time going over the fence the guards put up in order to prevent citizens from interfering and ran over to the scene.

Diana was soon stopped by a guard, "I'm sorry ma'am, but you can't just-" and almost immediately recognition lit up in his eyes, "M-miss Cavendish! What brings you here?" he asked.

I don't have time for this...! The blonde thought frustratingly, but she kept her emotions in check as she replied, "I was informed that there has been a disturbance in one of the local pubs and that some people were injured during the incident."

"Yes, there are people that need medical attention. The proprietor and Mr. Blackwell being among the injured to name a few." The officer confirmed.

"Mr. Blackwell?" Diana repeated, absolutely surprised and a bit frightened to hear that name. "As in-"

"My son." Came a familiar, rough male voice that belonged to the minister of defense himself.

Shawn Blackwell is an adult man with dark blonde hair and a mustache, green eyes that denote dark circles under them, and a pronounced chin. He wears a grayish-black tuxedo suit over a white shirt and a tie board.

Most of the citizens around these parts know the minister is an aggressive and ill-tempered man. His belligerent attitudes towards other cities as minister of defense are reflected in the bellicose rhetoric he uses concerning the Witch Trials against a foreign country, promising to crush their nation in politics as they will in Witch Trials. His violent position reaches the point of restraining anyone he considers to have odd behaviors for the crime of witchcraft. Mr. Blackwell loathes magical creatures outright since he personally thinks that they're a menace to society and he instilled his antagonism into his son.

Diana swallowed heavily as she gathered her composure, "I'm sorry to hear that. May I ask what happened?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mr. Blackwell responded sarcastically with a roll of his eyes, clearly not pleased. "My boy, my son, was assaulted tonight by a couple of wenches!" He was absolutely livid, giving off an intimidating aura as he pointed to a young recruit, "You! Bring them to me. NOW!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

The young guard scampered out of there, quickly heading inside the vandalized pub before returning with the criminals with another guard helping him escort them in tow, and Diana couldn't believe her eyes...

Of course, it had to be them... The heiress thought irritably, sighing heavily through her nose.

"Oi! Get your grimy off of me! I have rights!"

"Tsk. We may have roughed him up a bit, but we definitely didn't mean to cause an uproar on the joint..."

A pissed off Amanda O'Neill along with the now, mellow Jasminka Antonenko were brought before them, the guards forcing them to kneel on the cobblestone street.

The redhead groaned at the pain on her knees, growling angrily as she was prepared to give a very wise choice of words to the guard who manhandled her until she finally raised her head and noticed Diana... "Oh shit..."

"H-hello Diana, it's good to see that you're back in town..." The strong girl said sheepishly in greeting, giving a weak laugh.

Mr. Blackwell huffed and said, "Typical." he then turned to look at the young Cavendish and asked, "I assume that you're acquainted with these ruffians, correct?"

"Yes, I am." Diana gave a straight answer.

"Heaven almighty, do I have a story to tell to your aunt? Yes, I do." The minister sneered, clapping slowly with each word he spoke as if he was amused by that answer.

Well, there goes my night as well as my peace for the next couple of days. I'll definitely won't hear the end of it this time... The blonde thought miserably, her shoulders slumping in obvious defeat. "What are the charges?"

"It's quite a list, I assure you. These brats are under arrest for robbery, vandalism, disruption of peace, and let's not forget aggravated assault against my son!" Mr. Blackwell listed off their offenses.

"I won't deny any of those accusations, however I will speak against robbery. We didn't steal a thing in that pub." Jasminka spoke up calmly before a small scowl settled on her features, "If anyone was robbed, it was me. That was a waste of good chili..." she choked back a sob on the last part of her sentence. "You can't waste good food like that, you just don't..."

"Not counting the chili dilemma, I will also speak against robbery because I didn't steal shit! My heart was stolen, and not in a good way! By the way, your son is an asshole!" Amanda yelled adamantly to the minister, glaring at him the entire time she said this.

Then, almost without warning, Mr. Blackwell's hand lashes out, catching the tomboy across the cheek. Both Diana and Jasminka stiffened and stared, wide-eyed as Amanda fell to the ground from the impact. Before anyone could try to move, the minister loomed over the redhead and stomped her face with his shoe, putting force but not enough to kill her on the spot...

"Do you know who I am? I am Shawn Blackwell, I am this city's minister of defense, and it is MY job to apprehend insufferable, incorrigible, scumbags like you! You will rue the day you double-cross me girly, and you can rest assured that you'll be locked away for a long, long time!" The minister gave an adamant speech of his own, adding a bit more force as he purposely shuffled his shoe on the teenagers' face. "Or, better yet, I think an execution is in order... Right here, right now."

Despite the horrible situation she was in Amanda gave a long, insane, hearty laugh. Her head, her face, and her battered body were practically screaming in agony, and yet she was laughing about it all. However, there was no humor behind it. Her amusement was quite the opposite really. It was hollow, sad, and dare it be... relief?

After what seemed like an eternity, the tomboy finally calmed down enough and said, "An execution, huh? In front of all these people? That's funny. In fact, I welcome it!" she gave another breathy chuckle, sounding serious soon afterward: "Go ahead. You'd be doing me a HUGE favor!"

Much to everyone's surprise, Mr. Blackwell looked truly disturbed by this sudden development. His anger faltered, almost disappearing completely as he asked, "Are you some kind of psycho?"

"Aw, what's wrong? Did you lose your balls?" Amanda taunted with another chuckle tumbling from her lips, completely ignoring the man's question as her legs were swinging nonchalantly in obvious impatience. "I gave you permission, didn't I? All you have to do is crush my skull like a damn, useless egg and hear that sweet, sickening crunch for a job well done! You said so yourself, right? I'm scum, I'm insignificant. My brain will be nothing more like gum stuck on the underside of your shoe, and all you have to do is scrape it off real good once you set foot on that welcome mat when you get home. Come on, what are you waiting for? I don't have all night!"

In an instant, anger flashed back into his eyes, "...Why you little-"

"Mr. Blackwell!"

"What?" The minister hissed out as he turned his head to look at the heiress, his demeanor clearly showing that he has practically run out of patience by this point.

"Please. Have mercy on her. She's...she's very sick." Diana told him, going as far to be on her hands and knees in front of everyone present to show how serious she was about her plead.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Blackwell looked skeptical at hearing such a claim. "Sick? You've got to be kidding me... This brat is suicidal at best."

"It's true, sir." Jasminka spoke up solemnly for the first time in a while, vouching for the young Cavendish. "My friend she... She may look fine on the surface, but I assure you that she's very troubled. Mentally and emotionally."

Amanda opened her mouth, probably to say something to refute their claims, but Diana didn't let her. "Unless there's a genuine apology on what you're going to say, I don't want to hear it."

Taking Diana's stern warning to heart the redhead sealed her lips, closing her eyes as she sighed heavily through her nose.

Having Amanda's silence as her cue, the blonde looked up at the minister and began to set things right. "I, Diana Cavendish, will take full responsibility and ensure to take care of all of the damages as well as anyone who was injured during the incident tonight. All I ask in return is that you please release my friends and everyone else that are in your custody."

A heavy silence hung over the tense atmosphere, and after what seemed like an eternity Mr. Blackwell sighed as he closed his eyes and brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

"The Cavendish Family never seizes to amaze me..." The man grumbled under his breath, finally stepping off of Amanda as he turned to face the row of restrained citizens. "You all better thank your lucky stars for Miss Cavendish's kindness for bailing you out! Think of this opportunity as a warning because I assure you that there won't be a next time!" He yelled for all to hear, "Men, release the prisoners!"

Upon command, the guards did as requested and started to free the restrained citizens.

Mr. Blackwell turned to look at the young Cavendish, "Seeing as you have your hands full..." he mentioned while giving a brief glance towards Amanda and Jasminka before continuing, "I shall take my leave. I'll be waiting with my son inside the tavern..."

Diana got back up on her feet, nodding in understanding. "Yes. Thank you, Mr. Blackwell."

The blonde man merely grumbled as he finally left the premises, and most of the citizens didn't waste any time scampering out of there once they were freed.

After they were untied Amanda, Jasminka along with Constanze and Akko, who were rubbing their sore wrists since they were restrained the longest grouped up near the heiress, who has yet to say anything to them...

Out of everyone, Amanda was the one who dared to speak, "Listen Cav, I..."

"I said it before and I will say it again: Unless there's a genuine apology in what you're going to say, I don't want to hear it." Diana interrupted her, obviously not too pleased over the events that happened tonight. She then sighed heavily and turned to look at the one person she was looking forward to seeing the most, only for her blood to boil in anger once she noticed Akko's swollen and bloody cheek...

The brunette shivered under her gaze, probably in fear of being scolded, but surprisingly that wasn't the case... The heiress had approached her, gently grabbing Akko's chin and tilting her head to the side to inspect the tender injury.

Once she was done, Diana sighed, "Are there any other injuries I should know about?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft as she spoke.

"No..." Akko answered her.

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, the young Cavendish looked at the green team. Amanda and Jasminka also seem to have scrapes and bruises, but otherwise they were fine. Constanze was the only one who didn't receive injuries of any kind. Scrapes and bruises are really easy to take care of, and so the only ones that Diana needed to focus on is the proprietor of the pub along with Louis Blackwell...

"I'm going to go inside the tavern and take care of the injured." The blonde told them. "You will all wait here and do absolutely nothing, are we clear?"

The redhead dared to run her mouth, rolling her eyes as she did so, "Geez Cav, you're acting like we're going to start trouble again in five minutes."

"You might as well might for all I know!" Diana practically exploded, marching up to Amanda. She put her hands on her hips as she continued her banter, "I've been gone for three days, only to come back and hear from Hannah and Barbara that you girls got into trouble with the law!"

"Oh, so THAT'S how you found out."

"Yes! I only asked for one thing Amanda, one thing! Not to cause trouble, and what do you do? You do the exact opposite!"

"Damn Cav, I was just trying to-"

"Shut it! I'll be happy to hear your side of the story tomorrow because right now, I have patients to see."

And just like that Diana Cavendish stormed off to the Cavendish carriage to gather her medical supplies, leaving Akko and the green team by themselves. Amanda growled angrily, grumbling something under her breath as she started to walk off down the street.

"Amanda, where are you going?" The red-eyed girl called out to her.

"Out."

"But, Diana said-"

The tomboy stopped in her tracks, turning around to yell, "I don't give a rat's ass what that bitch thinks! She's not the boss of me!"

Akko's not going to lie. She perked up when she heard Amanda insult her savior, but she understood that the redhead was pissed off over what happened so Akko surprisingly managed to keep her cool. "Amanda, come on, that's not fair. Diana just saved us from going to prison, you can't just-"

"And the loyal puppy speaks up to protect her owner, how cute." The red-haired adventurer taunted, doing a fake coo in emphasis as she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Look, I get that you're angry and all, but that's still no reason to be a bitch to other people." Akko told her as calmly as possible. She knew what Amanda was doing. The redhead was trying to make her lose her temper, but Akko won't let her.

That was until Amanda said, "And look at this, the little puppy has a bit of a bite to her too. Since you're the sensible one, do me a favor: Next time your owner decides to lash out, put her on a leash."

"THAT'S IT!"

Before anybody could react Akko had lunged at the tomboy, tackling her to the ground and actually managed to get a couple punches in until strong arms got a hold of her and pulled her away from Amanda.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Jasminka spoke in disapproval, and she then glared at the short-haired adventurer. "As for you Amanda, I've seen you get mad and act childish before but this is the lowest of the low."

"Tsk. Whatever..." Amanda mumbled as she wiped the blood off her chin, pushing Constanze away since she didn't want any help getting back up on her feet.

Soon after that the tomboy walked off...

"That girl is a real piece of work." A female voice commented with a sigh.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Another voice said in agreement.

Akko and the remaining members of the green team turned around to look at the newcomers.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you girls, but I'm surprised that the two of you are still here." Jasminka commented to the nobles.

"Yes, well... We obviously couldn't leave things the way they were. If you girls got arrested and got sent to Appleton, then that will be that, if that horrible man got his way..." Hannah admitted, letting out a shaky sigh as she rubbed her arm.

"Though from the looks of things, it seems that we did more harm than good." Barbara said guiltily, having her head hung in shame. "In the end, we got Diana in trouble..."

"We should still thank you for saving us." Constanze signed with a small smile. She then mustered up the courage to say, "...T'hank you."

"Exactly. Besides, you couldn't have known. Things could've been a lot worse..." Akko told them, trying to be optimistic about everything that happened. "I just wish I could do something to help Diana..."

"Speaking of which, how DO you know Diana?" Hannah interrogated her, looking at the brunette suspiciously.

"Yeah, Diana mentioned a name before so... I'm assuming that your name is Akko, correct?" Barbara asked her.

The red-eyed girl looked pleasantly surprised, her cheeks being dusted with a slight blush when she heard that Diana said her name. "Y-yes, it is."

With the exception of Amanda, the other girls stayed in place as Diana had requested them to do. Akko got herself acquainted with Hannah and Barbara, and afterwards the girls simply chatted to pass the time until Diana finished tending to her patients.

Once the young Cavendish was done everyone went their separate ways with Hannah begrudgingly leaving with the Blackwells upon Louis' insistence, Jasminka and Constanze volunteered in taking Barbara home back in Blytonbury, Amanda was still missing but she will eventually come around on her own, and so that left Akko and Diana...

The two of them are inside the carriage while Carter drove them home. It was a bit awkward to say the least, not to mention silent. The heiress practically zoned out as she stared out the carriage's window, having a scowl on her face all the while.

Akko could hardly blame her. Diana's night was pretty much ruined thanks to the fiasco at the tavern, and she will no doubt face a rough couple of days with her aunt and cousins once they hear what happened tonight. The young doctor's eventual return was supposed to be filled with warm hugs and smiles, but it was all a huge mess instead.

Even though she wasn't the main offender during the chaos, the brunette couldn't help but feel guilty for being a part of it anyway. She sighed softly while nervously fiddling with her fingers, stealing a glance to look at her savior every now and then. Sadly, Diana has yet to move a muscle.

Seeing as there was no change to the blonde's demeanor, Akko was about to admit defeat until she felt a warm hand enclose on her own...

Akko felt her ears burn when she stared at their intertwined hands. The brunette slowly looked up at her savior, who was blushing in embarrassment as she still tried her best to keep her attention at the moving landscape outside the carriage's window, but of course she was failing miserably.

Akko felt a smile work its way up on her face, scooting a bit closer as she laid her head on Diana's shoulder. The red-eyed girl felt Diana's posture go stiff for a moment before she finally relaxed again, and after a moment Akko said, "I really missed you, Diana..."

There was nothing of a response at all at first, until the young doctor let out a tired sigh while she laid her head on top of Akko's, gently tightening the hold in her hand and said, "I missed you too, Akko."

Their night along with their reunion might not have been perfect, but as long as they were together and supported each other they know that everything will be alright.

A/N2: And~, that's it for chapter 10! What an adventure, am I right? Anyways, besides making this chapter to make up for the fact that I haven't updated this story at all since April... Chapter 10 has been really challenging to write overall because for the first time since I started this story, I finally faced my first writer's block. And it's not because I didn't have anything in mind, the chapter itself was pretty much planned out in my head and in my notes that I keep for this AU, but it was still pretty difficult to write everything down if that makes sense. I can't tell you how many times I have stared at my laptop screen, looking straight at the cursed document to see if I could have inspiration strike me over the last few months...

Writer's block aside, after I finished uploading Weekend with the Cavendishes (Thank you all for your support on that project! I'm happy to know that it was a success and that you all love it!), I actually got REALLY burnt out after writing the whole thing so I obviously took a break, which was a good thing since by that time I was experiencing on and off writer's block for chapter 10. And then May came around, and it suddenly became busy for me with actual life matters with my job. I work at a hotel, and with it being summer, obviously it's the busiest time of the year work wise and by the time I got home from work I was too tired to practically do anything else. But, now that it's back to slow season again for me, I can actually write as much as I want now! Hooray!

Alright then, what's next... Notes!

Number 1 – In case you're all wondering why the girls are drinking: Before the mid to late 1800s, there was no minimum drinking age anywhere in the country. What little information that is available shows that Wisconsin passed the first such ordinance in 1839, which prevented the sale of wine or liquor to anyone under the age of 18 unless they had a parent's consent. And I previously stated on chapter 1 that this particular AU roughly takes place during the 15-18 century, and I kind of want to say that we're relatively in the middle of that timeline so... Yes, they're allowed to drink.

Number 2 – This is my very first attempt at doing world building outside of the Cavendish Manor and hopefully I managed to make things interesting with the function of Appleton being used as a court house for the Witch Trials, the Last Wednesday Society functioning as an adventurer guild that tries to mediate matters between humans and magical creatures in secret, and finally briefly introducing the Boar Clan as the first magical creature community that we see in this fic.

Number 3 – Speaking of the Boar Clan, this will not be the only time that we'll see them. In fact there are two more clans, the Farkas (Wolf) Clan and the Medve (Bear) Clan, are the other magical communities that we will see on future chapters. I can't reveal too much for obvious reasons, but the short summary is that all three clans are comprised of Berserkers that can shift into one of those three respective animals during the midst of battle in Norse mythology. And as you read through the chapter, you guys already know that the Boar Clan can't stand humans but they begrudgingly have to depend on them via the LWS in order survive at some points.

Number 4 – I officially gave the name Barnat to the LWS proprietor and the woman who was with him is Zsofia Farkas, who's not only Barnat's wife but also an OC of mine. In this AU they're magical creatures (Yes, the two of them are part of the clans. Zsofia belongs to the Farkas Clan while Barnat belongs to the Medve Clan), and they will appear every now and then acting as allies for Akko and the others throughout the story. That's pretty much what I'll share about them for now.

Number 5 – The cargo that Akko and the green team were delivering in this chapter is called Glamour. The item itself is a reference to Wolf Among Us, and the function for it is pretty much the same as in the actual game. The Boar Clan needed the Glamour in order to disguise themselves as humans in order to pass the borders of a city, or wherever else that's high on security with humans really.

Number 6 – Surprise, surprise... Ursula Callistis does not recall ever meeting Akko, but of course Akko insists that they have met before. Please keep in mind that what happened near the end of chapter 6 was a vision of sorts for their supposed "meeting". Not counting that, the truth of the matter is that they did meet each other once before, but of course neither of them remember the specifics of their meeting, which was ten years ago... Anime wise, we already know what happened in the series ten years ago. For this fic, their meeting ten years ago was a whole different matter entirely, which will be explored on a future chapter.

Number 7 – Do you guys remember how Diana described her meeting with the green team on the last chapter? One of them was injured and sick, the other was feeble and suffered from malnutrition, and the third didn't sustain any physical injuries but emotionally they are there. Reading this chapter reveals that Constanze suffered a permanent injury on her tongue (Which is why she can actually speak, but clearly not very well. That's why she prefers to communicate in sign language), Jasminka is the one who was feeble and suffered from malnutrition (Which explains why she overreacted when her bowl of chili spilled on the floor, plus eating is pretty much part of her character so that was super easy to figure out), and finally Amanda is the one who is suffering emotionally as well as mentally since she turned into a suicidal bitch near the end of this chapter. Hopefully, these three little facts will be interesting for you guys since this will basically be hints/start-ups for the green team in terms of their backgrounds for this AU, which will be explored later on.

And, that's pretty much it in terms of notes for this chapter. Does anybody feel sorry for Diana? I feel sorry for Diana, but unfortunately somebody needed to face some form of consequences in this chapter and so our poor Cavendish had to take the hit for drama's sake. Next time for chapter 11, we will finally see Andrew and Frank make their first appearances in this AU!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! I shall participate on my very first Dianakko Week for 2019 this year! Admittedly I'm pretty excited, and a little bit nervous, though that's mostly due to the fact that I still need to finish days 1, 4, 5 (It's mostly finished, I just got to revise it), and 7. Initially, I was crossing my fingers hoping that Dianakko week will be on November, but unfortunately... a lot of people chose August and when I found out about it, it was around July 16 I wanna say so that's barely a month to brainstorm and write everything down. BUT, I ultimately decided to go through with it because I like most of the themes that were picked for this year so I thought, "Why the heck not?!" since I have a lot of Dianakko ideas anyway, plus I can apply most of them with the themes for this year.

So yeah, you guys have something to look forward to on August 25-31st. I just have to type, type, type like a madwoman until then. Once Dianakko week is officially over, I will try my best to type chapter 11 for Of Trials and Magic as fast as I can, and keep this fic going from there.

If most of you managed to read the entirety of my author's note, thank you so much for bearing with me in terms of patience and reading everything I had to say. This story has grown quite a lot with reviews, faves, and follows since the last time I updated. It makes me really happy to know that people are interested in this story, and your support inspires me to keep on writing. Please keep the faves and follows going, and don't be afraid to leave me reviews! I would like to know what you guys think! Laters! XD