A/N: First of all, I'm truly sorry for not posting any updates for so long. I just start going back to work from 11 a.m; until 9 p.m, which have been tiring. This chapter has been left hanging for a few days, and now I have finally finished editing it. 

I want to post it on Christmas, but my workplace gets even more hectic, and I instantly pass out when I come home. And yes, I need to work during the holidays, how fabulous was that?

Anyways, thank you for being patient with me and. I really sorry about this, but I will try to steal some time to write a few chapters up ahead. 

Thank you for reading, and HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS!!!!

May 2021 be better than 2020

"There you go." The older woman presented a three-tier lunch box wrap furoshiki decorated with petals of cherry blossom.

Kana sweat with Muku drools by her side. "T-thank you, but this may be too much for me."

"Nonsense!" Brushing the younger girl's words. "I make just enough for both of you."

"Ku~"

Sighing at her little comrade. "Of course, you agree with her. By the way, what's up with shrimp? He looks like he wants to set my hair on fire."

"Ignore him." The vice-captain, Randalf, the state with his mutual expression of creepy-smile as the girl's called it. He took a sip of his morning tea and added. "He just bitter about our squad wasn't able to join the mission over the new discover dungeon."

"Heh~ So? What's it got to do with me?"

Kagaya, an older girl with long dark brown hair whose another senior of her by two years came from a noble family intercept as she appears out of nowhere. She has a loud personality that reminded her of Asta, but she can sometimes be a pain since she wasn't a fan of commoners joining Magic Knights. "It seems that you chose to join those missions along with that magic-less Black Bull and four-clover guy. They also send three-men per squad that meant that if you go, he may go too, but-"

"I was suspended and can't join any missions whatsoever, am I right?" Kana cut her off, earning a scoff from the older girl. She glanced over the vice-captain. "Why can't someone else go?"

"It seems like Magic King chose you personally. Since you can't go, no one else can." The man calmly explains.

"Is that so?" Kana nods, understanding, then glances over the youngest Vermillion. "Suck it."

Irk marks appear all over the boy's head, and he angrily shouts. "You little- do you know how important that dungeon is?!"

Blinks

"No."

Leopold furiously scratches his head making his hair poke out of everywhere. "Damn you!"

Kana stuck her tongue out, walking away with Muku happily follow her with their lunchbox on top of his head.

-Clover Kingdom-

Lowering the broom down to the ground, they arrive right in front of the castle. Two days ago, the girl received a letter from the Magic King telling her that he wants to discuss the attack on her village more, which is why she was there.

She let Muku out of the bracelet since the people at the castle already know about his presence and there's aren't many outsiders who accept the guards or the magic knights on duty.

Just as she's about to knock on the door, it suddenly opens, making her jump backward to avoid it.

"Oh. Sorry about that, I didn't know you here already."

Marx Francois, one of the advisers of Julius, stood by the door, greeting her with a smile. "I was about to contact you." He scratches his cheek smiling apologetically.

"What's the matter?"

"You see—"

He opens the door just enough for her to peek.

Julius was leaning back on his chair with his soul flying out his body right inside the office. Piles of papers scattered on top of the table, and few more stacks of documents over each side of him ready to be checked.

"He's taking a nap for a while." He explains and sighs. "That's what he get for fooling around too much."

"I see. Oh, would you mind if I have a look at old documents?" Kana asks. "I'm hoping there's some clues or records if there are any similar incidents that happen to my village."

"Hmm." Marx looks deep in thought. He glances back at the office's door. "You're summons to look onto it. Very well, then. But so you know there some restriction section where you absolutely can't wander around, understood?" Warning her with a stern look.

Kana smile, nodding. "Understood. Let's go, Muku."

The young beast that has been circling, chasing his tail, stops upon hearing his name and quickly runs over her side.

"Thank you so much." She bow, waving as she took off towards the library. "Send my regards to the old man."

"Old-" The fair-haired man sweat drop chuckling at the nickname given to the respected man on the Clover Kingdom. "The nerve of her." He sighs in amusement. His expression later changes upon realizing something. "Does she even know where she's going? Wait for a second! Damn it!" Sighing out loud. "I forgot to tell her about the door."

"Let see—"

After walking around the castle for almost an hour, only then did she realize that she officially lost and didn't even know the way back to the office.

"I think I have round this hallway three times already." She sighs in defeat. Glancing over her shoulder where her companion is resting. "What do you think? Is it the same one, or do I imagine thing?"

"Ku?" Muku glance left and right, then tilted his head.

He also a lost cause.

"What a surprise to see you here?"

Turning to where the voice came from, her eyes widen at the sight of the person in front of her.

She didn't realize that someone else was there beside her and Muku.

Kana sigh while trying to calm her heart that almost leap out of her chest.

"I apologize for that." William chuckled. "Never intended to surprise you."

Giving him a suspicious look. "How did you find me?"

Tilting his head a little, he glances back from where he walkout. "By accident. I have been watching you walking past the library three times already."

"Eh?" She blinks a few times in surprise. "Library?"

The Captain of the famous Golden Dawn nods, a bit in amusement. "There—" He glances up over the sign on top of the door saying 'Library.'

Instantly her mouth form 'o'. "Who would have thought the sign was there all the time."

William chuckle; he found her expression was quite adorable. Unlike how he expected her to be since their first meeting, she reveals that she's the lone survivor of a mysterious attack on her village. "May I know why you were searching for the library?"

Blinking few times as if she just snap out of a daze. "The old man was supposed to help me furthering any clues on what happen to my village." She explains, her expression turns stoic.

"I see." Nodding his head. "Do you need any help? I can—"

"No." She cut him off and walk toward the door only to be stopped by a sudden force field blocking her way. "What—" Tapping the invisible wall in confusion, she heard a chuckle coming from behind her, making irk marks appear on her head. "What so funny?" Kana abruptly turn around, a red face from embarrassment.

"I—Pardon me. That—I—I wasn't supposed to laugh." Clearing his throat to gain his sense after having laughed a bit too hard even for himself. He watches her turn even brighter with a puff of smoke explode on top of her head. An image of an angry hissing kitten comes into his mind making his smile widen at the similarity between them.

"The door blocked by a spell that blocked intruders getting in. Only those who allowed to come in here know how to get past through it." He explains to her. "Didn't the Magic King told you about it?"

Shrugging after hearing his question, she states bluntly. "He's busy when I was peeking, and I only meet Bowl head; I ask to get a head start and took off."

William sweat drop. 'She's quite a character.' "Well, since you already came this far, I will help you out. But I need to keep my eyes on you the whole time, how about that?"

Kana frown, glancing back from where she thought she comes from, and sighs as she reflects at the number 1 squad's captain. "Fine."

"Alright then—Shall we?" He gives her an innocent princely smile with flowers floating around him.

Internally groaning out loud, Kana thought. 'This will be a long day—'

All the meanwhile, Muku watches from the back with his bright eyes glued on the Masked human. In his eyes, he wasn't seeing a man but instead, there's two of them. One is talking to his human while another is watching him intensely.

He feels a bit alarmed by the other man's aura, but he can smell that he was different from him and the other two humans.

Rather than making a scene out of it, he keeps his guard up if the weird-smell creature attacks his human.

All the while, the pointy ear man narrows his eyes at Muku.

https://youtu.be/g7Xeh82MzSQ