The birds chirped in unison as the gentle breeze filled with the scent of various flowers blew all over the Haltea Great Forest. This was the scenery which greeted Grey every morning during the time he had spent in the forest.
More than two months had passed since the devastation of the village, and during those long days, Grey and Yuna had never been slacking in their training. In contrast, with each other's help, their training speed increased even more.
In light of the fight with the Magma Crawler, Grey had started learning more spells from other attributes and arts from different classes. Especially holy magic which contains spells that can heal people.
For Yuna, she was still focused on her main class and attribute, only learning tidbits of information about the other attributes and classes in her spare time as she observed Grey train.
The progress the two made over this course of time was something no normal people can imagine. Grey had reached B-rank just a couple of days ago, placing him amongst the top 500 people in Merusia. As for Yuna, she had reached E-rank in a little more than a month since her training, a growth speed second only to Grey.
Of course, they didn't only do training everyday, they also enjoyed their hobbies and relaxed from time to time. Otherwise, both of them would have collapsed from exhaustion, not that it didn't happen before.
"It's been seven months, huh..." ［Grey］
Grey murmured quietly whilst looking at his makeshift calendar, reminiscing about the first day he arrived in Merusia.
Just like Earth, Merusia's year consists of 365 days, with each day consisting of 24 hours. The only difference was the division of months where Merusia had 13 months, unlike Earth which only had 12.
The 13 months are Garn, Methys, Marina, Adamas, Meraud, Alrek, Rubinus, Erido, Safir, Carnelion, Azos, Zirkon, and Anbar, listed from first to last. Each of the months, excluding Anbar, the last month, has exactly 28 days grouped into 4 weeks. As for Anbar, it has 29 days, just one more than the others.
In order, the 7 days of the week were Lunae, Marti, Mercurii, Jovis, Veneris, Saturni, and Solis, which if converted to Earth terms were Monday to Sunday respectively.
The day Grey arrived on Merusia was the 12th of Methys. Since then, it has been exactly seven and a half months. And in that time, he had completely transformed into another person.
"I wonder if that day will become my birthday..." ［Grey］
Grey wondered, thinking if the day he arrived would become his birthday, and as he wondered, lightning struck him. He had completely forgotten to ask Yuna about one thing.
'Crap... Come to think of it, when is Yuna's birthday?' ［Grey］
The two have already introduced themselves to one another a long time ago. They had also learnt a lot about each other from their daily lives. But never did Grey ask Yuna when her birthday was.
Slowly, Grey's head turned towards Yuna who was training outdoors. If it weren't for the daggers in her hands, Yuna would look like someone who was dancing along the melody of the forest.
Seeing the current Yuna, Grey couldn't believe that she was once the girl who had dull eyes just 3 months ago. It was then he once again realized how fast time flows.
"Hm? Do you need something, Grey?" ［Yuna］
Yuna asked the moment she noticed Grey staring blankly by the windows.
"Ah, no Iー No, actually, I do have something to ask you." ［Grey］
Grey hesitated at first if he should ask Yuna about her birthday, but after a moment of contemplation, he decided to continue. After all, a chance like this might not pass once again.
And having no idea about why Grey was acting strangely, Yuna stared back at him in confusion as she slowly wiped the sweat on her face with a white towel.
"Umm... Your birthday... When is it?" ［Grey］
"My birthday? It's on the 26th of Safir, why?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, nothing much. I just realized that I didn't know when your birthday was as I was looking at the calendar. So I figured I'd ask you about it." ［Grey］
"Oh, I see..." ［Yuna］
After hearing Grey's explanation, Yuna just nodded slowly as if she accepted Grey's words, but inside she was still puzzled as to why Grey wanted to know when her birthday was.
The reason for Yuna's confusion was simple, it was because celebrating birthdays were usually done by the gentry or nobility only. If the commoners ever did celebrate, it would only be amongst family members. That was why Yuna was puzzled as to how Grey would use such information.
Like nothing happened, Grey went back to whatever he was doing after taking a mental note and Yuna continued with her training. It was as if it was a daily routine to the two of them.
Or so, that's how it usually would happen, but as Grey was heading back, he suddenly stopped on his tracks as another lightning bolt of realization struck him.
"Hey! Isn't that today?!" ［Grey］
"Oh?" ［Yuna］
To Grey's sudden outburst, Yuna simply responded with an "Oh?" as if asking what was about it. Grey on the other hand...
"Don't 'Oh?' me! We need to celebrate it!" ［Grey］
... grabbed the confused Yuna's hands and dragged her towards the dining table to take a seat. It happened so quickly that Yuna didn't know how to react.
Grey then proceeded to open head into the kitchen, opening every cabinet and drawer, and brought out all the ingredients he could find inside his "Inventory". Of course, this was dome in speeds unimaginable to normal humans.
"Umm... Grey... Grey... Hey... Grey..." ［Yuna］
Yuna tried to call out Grey's name multiple times but to no avail. Grey has become completely immersed in his own world as he tries to create birthday dishes for Yuna.
"Grey!!" ［Yuna］
It was only when Yuna yelled with all her might that Grey stopped on his tracks and focused her attention on her. It was the first time Grey saw Yuna so confused.
"Grey, what are you doing?" ［Yuna］
"Celebrating your birthday, of course." ［Grey］
"Eh?" ［Yuna］
"Huh?" ［Grey］
Towards each other's response, the two fell into confusion, both not understanding what the other was trying to say.
"Ah, no, wait a minute. Is there something wrong with celebrating your birthday? If it's a sensitive reason then I apoloー" ［Grey］
"No, no, it's nothing like that... It's just that... Why are you doing so much for me?" ［Yuna］
"What do you mean why? Do I need a reason to celebrate a friend's birthday?" ［Grey］
Friend... A word which meant companionship and trust. That word caught Yuna's attention the most.
During the time the two had lived together, Yuna had always thought that she was being a bother to Grey. She had always thought she was a burden to him, that he was just being nice so that he wouldn't hurt her feelings. Never in her wildest imagination would she have thought that Grey thought of her as a friend.
Hearing those words directly from Grey's mouth, Yuna felt an indescribable happiness welling up inside her heart. Happiness which led her to shedding tears before she even noticed.
"Ah, sorry! I promise I'll make it up to youー" ［Grey］
"No, No, I'm not crying because of that. I'm just so happy... I'm so happy that I couldn't control my tears from flowing." ［Yuna］
In order to stop Grey's misunderstanding, Yuna quickly shook her head and wiped her tears away as she cut Grey's words. String actions which were made to deny someone's words.
But those actions weren't the one which had convinced Grey. It was the smile which accompanied those actions. A smile one will only see on a happy person. Grey didn't even need to use his abilities to know if Yuna's feelings were sincere. Just the smile alone was the biggest proof there was.
"Alright, alright, I believe you. So, for your birthday, what kinds of food do you want? I want to give you a present but we're short in time. Sorー." ［Grey］
"Shhh～ You don't need to apologize. I'm plenty happy just by those thoughts alone. I already received a present a just little while ago." ［Yuna］
To Yuna's words, Grey tilted his head in confusion. No matter how hard he tried to recall, he hadn't given Yuna anything yet. Even if he searches his "Memory Bank", he was sure there wouldn't be such a moment.
Of course, what Yuna called a present was something intangible. They were the very words Grey had said to her a moment ago. Words which she will never forget all her life.
"I don't really get it, but we still need to cook something special. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a birthday celebration. So, what do you want?" ［Grey］
"Ummm... Then,.. Can I have something sweet, please?" ［Yuna］
Yuna asked shyly with a flustered face, and with the addition of the word "please" at the end, it became a destructively cute combo which could be bad for one's heart.
When Yuna's home village still existed, the villagers rarely had any interactions with the outside world. If there was, it would only be the merchants buying and selling things.
From those merchants, Yuna has always heard tales of sweet confectioneries from the large towns and cities. Sweets which were something that kids her age could eat at any time.
While the village could procure honey and fruits on its own, the stories Yuna heard from the merchant always had her fascinated with confectioneries. During those times, Yuna had dreamt of tasting those sweets one day if she ever left the village.
"Alright! Leave it to me!" ［Grey］
Hearing Yuna's innocent wish, Grey became even more enthusiastic and was determined to create the best sweet within his ability. He swore to fulfill Yuna's wish no matter what it takes.
Without wasting any time, Grey went to the kitchen and organized his stock of ingredients, and with a mental note, he listed down what sweets he could make using the ingredients he had.
Sweetness... Sourness... Texture...
After Grey listed down the available sweets, he selected the best sweets he could make with a process of elimination. Thankfully, he had a hobby of cooking in his past life so he was able to list down quite a few sweets and desserts.
Of course, not only sweets, Grey also prepared a handful of dishes which they will eat before the sweets. After all, what kind of birthday celebration only has sweets and no main courses?
It took quite some time for Grey to get to a final decision, but he was able to choose the best things he could do. For the sweets, he chose 3 of the most popular in the world, it was pudding, fruit salad, and ice cream. For the main course, he chose 3 meat dishes, 2 fish dishes, 2 soups, 2 stews, and of course, rice!
As an Asian person, Grey just couldn't imagine not being able to rice. So whenever he had free time, he would always search the forest for rice, which was said to grow near the riverbanks,
And after months of searching, he had finally found them just as he reached B-rank. Although it was only a small amount, with the help of water, earth, light, and plant magic, he was able to cultivate it into a sustainable amount in just a few days!
Magic will also be the main helper for the dishes and sweets Grey will prepare for today. Magic which will make what usually take hours of preparation be completed in just a few minutes.
As he further developed his mastery in this field, Grey had dubbed his skills as "Cooking Magic", which of course wasn't a real term.
"Hey, Grey... Do you need some help?" ［Yuna］
Peeking timidly in the kitchen, Yuna asked Grey if she could help as she felt uncomfortable not doing anything. Especially since Grey was doing everything because it was her birthday.
Grey wanted to surprise Yuna so he didn't really want her to help out. But on the other hand, if he rejected Yuna's help, it would deny Yuna's sincere feelings and she might feel dejected.
"Then, could you go outside and gather some fruits? We're running out on some of them. Wait a minute, I'll write you a list." ［Grey］
Of course, that was just a lie. It was the solution Grey brewed up in just a few seconds in order to keep Yuna busy as he prepared everything.
On the list Grey wrote, the fruits were all located somewhere quite a distance away. There were even some which will be tricky to get, but none of it will expose Yuna in danger.
It was the perfect plan. A plan that only those who are super cautious will be suspicious of. Thankfully, Yuna trusts Grey very much.
"If the others are too hard to get, you can just forget them. We still have other fruits here after all." ［Grey］
Taking advantage of Yuna's personality, Grey played a little trick in his words to rile up Yuna and make sure she stays outside until he can prepare everything. While it pains Grey's conscience, it was something he needed to do.
"No, I'll get them all. Then, I'll be going now." ［Yuna］
"Alright, take care!" ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
Seeing how Yuna didn't even doubt Grey for a moment, Grey's heart became tortured by guilt, thinking about how she took advantage of a kind girl. It hurt even more than when he was hit by a Minotaur's battleaxe.
As soon as Yuna went outside, Grey immediately started preparing everything and started to cook the simplest of dishes, the rice. And with Grey's "Inventory", the rice will still be hot even if Yuna takes a long to come back.
In the meat dishes, the meat used were that of beasts that are at least F-rank and animals that are rare to catch. Just the ingredients alone tells how much importance Grey was putting into Yuna's birthday. Not even nobles could spend ingredients as lavishly as Grey was doing.
It also wasn't just the meat, the fruits and vegetables used were also something that normal people would rarely find. Some were even herbs that people will fight over just to get it.
Sweet and sour... Fried meat... Grilled Fish... Salads...
One by one, the dishes were cooked by Grey at an astonishing rate. Not even a dozen chefs can match the pace at which he was cooking his dishes. Not to mention how precise he controls his magic to cook them.
Dusk had arrived and finally, Grey had completed all the dishes he needed to cook. All that was needed was the birthday girl to return home.
"I'm back..." ［Yuna］
"Ah... Welcome ho... me?" ［Grey］
Contrary to Grey who greeted Yuna with a smile, the latter was puffing her cheeks as if trying to convey that she was upset.
"You just didn't want me to help, didn't you?" ［Yuna］
As it turned out, after gathering a few fruits, Yuna figured out that Grey was just trying to keep her away from the kitchen. As a result, Yuna came home pouting, upset about how Grey played tricks on her.
"Haha... Sorry, I just wanted to surprise you." ［Grey］
"Hmph!" ［Yuna］
Yuna puffed her cheeks once again as she looked away from Grey with her eyes closed. Although Yuna's actions made it look cute if anything.
"I'm really sorry. How about I do you one favor as an apology." ［Grey］
In normal circumstances, Grey wouldn't promise such a thing to anyone since people would just take advantage of him if he ever did. Thankfully, the person before her was the pure and innocent Yuna.
"Then... Promise me you'll never play tricks or lie to me again." ［Yuna］
Just like what Grey had predicted, Yuna didn't abuse his favor and just asked for a simple request. A request which can hardly be called as such.
"Alright. In my name, Grey, I vow to never play tricks and never lie once again to Lady Yuna who stands before me." ［Grey］
Grey said playfully as he kneeled in front of Yuna, making Yuna giggle from his silly actions.
"Hehehe, what's with the formal vow?" ［Yuna］
"I am awaiting your response, Milady." ［Grey］
"I don't really understand it... But, I, Yuna, accept Sir Grey's apology." ［Yuna］
"I am eternally grateful." ［Grey］
The moment Grey finished his words, the two bursted out laughing. Although Yuna didn't really understand what was happening, she couldn't help herself but to smile from Grey's actions,
As if her previous actions were a lie, the once upset Yuna could now be seen hopping happily towards the dining room, even humming a tune as she hopped like a little rabbit.
"Wow～!!" ［Yuna］
The moment Yuna entered the dining room, she was greeted by a number of dishes she had never seen before. The sight of the dishes were already appetizing, but combined with the aroma filling the air, it was enough to make anyone salivate.
Yuna's eyes immediately sparkled at the sight of the food. There were so many that she initially thought it was a feast of some sorts.
"There's so many, can I really try all of them?!" ［Yuna］
"Of course! But leave room in your stomach, the sweets will come after we have eaten a meal." ［Grey］
"Waah～ Ah! But there's so many, wouldn't they become a waste if we can't eat all of them?!" ［Yuna］
Seeing Yuna immediately shift from excited to worried because of a trivial matter cracked up Grey, making him giggle slightly.
"Don't worry, I have 'Inventory', remember? So don't worry and eat 'til you're satisfied. We can just eat the leftovers at a later time so that nothing goes to waste," ［Grey］
Without a hitch, the two then sat down on their respective seats and ate the dishes they laid their eyes upon with their heart's content. Of course, they did it politely so as to not to play with the food.
Yuna's reactions to the food were irreplaceable. Especially when she ate the rice. It was something a chef would love to see when others eat their food.
"Whoa! This is sweet and cold, but it isn't too overwhelming! What is this?!" ［Yuna］
"That's ice cream. Hurry up and eat it before it melts." ［Grey］
"Y-Yes!" ［Yuna］
After the main course were the desserts, and even more than she was eating the main course, her eyes sparkled like stars in the sky. It made all of Grey's effort worth it.
"Let's celebrate again next year," ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
The night came to pass but the memories built that day became an unforgettable moment that will never be forgotten in their hearts. A moment of peace and happiness that Grey could only dream of half a year ago.
CHAPTER 7 END