The night was already deep and the moon was approaching its zenith with the clouds paving its path. The critters of the night have awoken as the world thrusts deeper into the darkness, their eyes glowing with an enchanting dazzle as the moonlight refracted in them.
A forest which was once a verdant paradise was now a dark domain, only illuminated by the fragments of light brought upon by the stars and the moon above. It had become the domain of insects chirping along the symphony of the cold breeze.
But even when it had been swallowed up by the seemingly endless darkness, the forest still remained beautiful. It was a face which not many knew, but appreciated the same nonetheless.
Along the vicinity of the forest, two figures can be observed, moving slowly so as to not disturb the surrounding peace. Of course, those two figures were none other than Grey and Yuna as they cleaned up their things, preparing to go home after witnessing a breathtaking orchestra of lights.
By the time the two came back to the city, the last bell had already rung. The city was as quiet as the dead, with the streets only occupied by the patrolling guards from time to time.
The two split ways after arriving at the "Rabbit's Den", Grey headed to his room while Yuna was being held up by Helen like a hawk locking on to her prey, asking for every juicy detail about what happened.
Grey wanted to help Yuna out, but the moment Helen mentioned the words "Girl Talk", he became as powerless as an infant. All he could do was head back to his room and go to dreamland, leaving Yuna in Helen's capable hands.
"Aghhhh...." ［Grey］
His hair as messy as a nest made of twigs and his eyes still half open, Grey stretched his arms upwards towards the ceiling as he greeted the arrival of a new day. Or rather, only one of his arms since the other one...
'Hm?' ［Grey］
... was in a rather absurd place, being sandwiched in Yuna's bosom.
Seeing the current situation, Grey became puzzled, flustered, anxious, and afraid at the same time. He experienced a mixture of various emotions as he became stuck in a rock and a hard place.
Grey wanted to pull out his arm, but any wrong move and Yuna might wake up. Furthermore, it would look like Grey was being indecent no matter which angle one would look at it.
It was a situation which could be described as being in heaven and hell at the same time. But compared to the benefits of "Heaven", the consequences of "Hell" were much more severe.
Grey tried to recall all the events which happened the night before but no matter how hard he thought nor how much he searched the "Memory Bank", he wasn't able to recall anything which would lead to the current situation.
He clearly remembered that he locked his room before going to bed. There was also no possible way that someone could have unlocked it wrongly. After all , only him and the innkeepers can hold the keys.
"Ah..." ［Grey］
It was then that Grey figured out who the culprit was. It was none other than the receptionist of the "Rabbit's Den" and the only daughter of the innkeepers. It was Helen.
Grey immediately understood that it was one of her "surprises". The angel which helped him out yesterday was now a vile demon in Grey's eyes. A demon which will cause him great peril.
"Mmmm..." ［Yuna］
The gentle voice of Yuna mumbling in her sleep became an alarm which screamed danger as it reverberated inside Grey's ears.
Grey tried to get out of bed as silently as he could but there was one obstacle which prevented him from doing so. Yuna was still clinging tightly unto his arm, with it still being stuck between two soft lumps of fat we shall call "Yuna's bosom".
"Mmm... Grey...?" ［Yuna］
It was at that moment that Grey knew he was doomed. His face was white as a sheet of paper as his soul seemed to look like it was leaving his body.
It took a few seconds before Yuna realized what kind of situation they were currently in, but when she did, she quickly turned red and...
"Kyaaaaaaa!" ［Yuna］
... a loud high-pitched scream echoed throughout the whole inn. It was so loud that Grey felt his own eardrums screaming in pain. It was a scream which could be heard hundreds of meters away.
"G-G-Grey!? W-W-Why are you here!?" ［Yuna］
Asked Yuna with mana gathering on the palm of her hands. She was ready to shoot an advanced-level spell towards Grey at a moment's notice.
Of course, Yuna never intended to hurt Grey. It was just that her mind was overflowing with confusion and information that she immediately switched to a defensive state. A state where she could blow away a village at one wrong move.
"Hey, hey, hey, Yuna calm down! If you fire that, not only this inn but also a large part of the city will get destroyed! In the first place, this is my room so I should be the one asking that!!" ［Grey］
"Eeehhh!?" ［Yuna］
Hearing Grey's words, Yuna looked around the room as if she was searching for something and soon enough, she realized that it was indeed not hers.
Thankfully, Grey was able to calm her down before she started to panic even more. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster where he wouldn't be able to do anything.
"Have you calmed down now?" ［Grey］
"Un... I'm sorry I overreacted a little bit." ［Yuna］
"A little bit"... Those three words rang repeatedly over and over again inside Grey's mind. Because to him, that overreaction was enough to wipe out a whole district. It was not a reaction one would normally describe as "a little bit".
Although he had just woken up, Grey was already tired to the point he just wanted to get back to bed and just laze around all day.
"It's alright, but still, how did you end up sleeping in my room?" ［Grey］
"Mmm... when we arrived, Helen and I had a little chat about what happened over the picnic... And... Ah, right! After that, I started to feel sleepy and then Helen offered to help me get to my room... The next thing I knew... I was sleeping on your bed..." ［Yuna］
Yuna explained as she recalled the previous events, turning redder and redder every passing moment.
Although Yuna liked Grey, it was still too much for her to wake up right next to him. Even when they had lived together for almost 3 years, they had never shared a bed before. Today was the first time it happened.
Even when Grey knew Helen was involved in the incident one way or another, it was still a shock hearing it from Yuna herself.
"Yuna, I already know what's going on. Why don't you go back to your room and change. Then we'll have breakfast afterwards," ［Grey］
"You're... not going to pursue this issue any further?" ［Yuna］
"Well, it's not like fussing over it will undo what has happened. We'll just have to be more careful next time." ［Grey］
"I guess you're right... T-Then, I'll see you later!" ［Yuna］
"Yeah." ［Grey］
After bowing her head and waving her hands goodbye, Yuna quickly dashed out of the room in a hurry, not wanting Grey to see her embarrassed face any longer.
With everything sorted out, Grey underwent his daily morning routine, acting as if nothing happened. But in reality, he was still shaken by the incident, trying his best to forget the warm and soft sensation which clung into his arm.
And as he ascended down the stairs into the ground floor...
"Good morning, Grey～!" ［Helen］
.... he met the perpetrator of the previous incident, smiling energetically and friendly, acting as if she knew nothing about the incident which just occurred. If Grey didn't know what she did, he would have been fooled by her innocent-looking smile.
All Grey could do was heave a lengthy sight. After all, he had no definite proof that it was Helen who really did cause the precious incident. Well, that was until...
"Hehehe! So, did you like my second 'surprise'? Yuna's sleeping face was cute, wasn't it?" ［Helen］
... the perpetrator herself revealed that she was guilty, with a mischievous smile.
There wasn't even a shred of regret in her eyes. Rather, she had eyes full of curiosity. She was barely holding herself back from asking Grey about each and every single detail.
"Haah... Please stop pulling pranks like these... Yuna almost blasted my room, you know." ［Grey］
"Oh...? Then I guess I'll have to be careful next time then." ［Helen］
"Next time...?" ［Grey］
"Ah, right! Breakfast is ready so you can come and eat anytime." ［Helen］
Grey tried to ask what Helen meant by her words, but before he could, Helen had already evaded the topic with grace, escaping to the kitchen, leaving a baffled Grey behind.
Shortly after Grey entered the dining hall and ordered a breakfast for two, Yuna came down dressed in her usual attire. She was also carrying the dress Helen let her borrow the day before.
"Ah, Helen. Here's your dress. Thank you very much for letting me borrow it!" ［Yuna］
"Oh, that? You can keep that, Yuna." ［Helen］
"N-No, I can't accept something so beautifuー" ［Yuna］
"No, I insist. I already have a lot of dresses, so giving away one wouldn't matter much. Also, that one doesn't really fit me. It would be better to have a cute girl like Yuna to wear it!" ［Helen］
"T-Then, thank you!" ［Yuna］
"No problem." ［Helen］
Yuna tried to return the dress but she ended up keeping it instead. And while she was basically being given a hand-me-down, she was still happy receiving a gift from someone other than Grey.
Seeing the scene, Grey looked at Helen and Yuna with warm eyes. He was happy that Yuna finally had someone else she could consider as a friend. Because of it, he decided to forgive Helen for the mischief she caused just a few moments ago.
After having their breakfast at the inn, the two then headed to the Adventurer's Guild.
Their purpose was to collect the rewards for their efforts in exterminating the Orc Horde two days ago.
As there were too many variables involved within the Orc Horde Extermination Special Quest, it took the guild quite some time to sort things out and decide how many points should be allocated for the quests.
Of course, the money earned from all the drops Grey and Yuna brought, as decided before, were to be donated to the ravaged village. A decision which brought smiles to the faces of not only the villagers, but to the Guildmaster as well.
"Oh, Miss Yuna, Mister Grey, you've arrived! We've been waiting for you!" ［Tilda］
As soon as Grey and Yuna entered the guild, Tilda immediately spotted and greeted them. And along her lively greeting, the eyes of the adventurers also became affixed to the entrance.
After the incident two days ago, the adventurers quickly change their attitude towards Grey and Yuna. If they just looked at them before like plain rookies, now, they were looking at them with both fear and awe.
Though they looked at the two for a moment, they quickly diverged their eyes away from them in less than a fraction of a second. They could still remember the terror Grey brought upon them two days ago. Some even had nightmares the night after the incident occured.
"Have you perhaps finished with your assessment?" ［Grey］
"Yes, and you arrived just in time. After careful consideration, the guild decided to allot 13,730 points to each of your cards. As for the rewards, you will be granted 251,920 kiels." ［Tilda］
"A-Amazing..." ［Grey］
"So much money..." ［Yuna］
To the amount Tilda mentioned, both Yuna and Grey were surprised by how extravagant the rewards were. While it was far away from the value of the drops, it was still an enormous amount for two people.
"Hahaha, actually, it's quite the opposite. Normally, an A-rank quest would reward an amount of at least a million kiels, but seeing as to how sudden the quest came, it was all the money we could gather. We're really sorry." ［Tilda］
"Ah, no, no. It's plenty enough already. Isn't that right, Yuna?" ［Grey］
"U-Un! You could already buy a lot of meat with it!" ［Yuna］
Although Yuna's answer was a little off, it still served its purpose and convinced Tilda that that amount was alright to them. It also made Tilda giggle a little seeing how flustered and cute Yuna's answer was.
Not to mention, the amount of points was very large. After all, for one to get promoted to D-rank, they would need to gather 2,500 points and then pass the rank-up exam. The points they gathered were more than 5 times that value.
"Well, now that that's all over, Mister Grey, Miss Yuna, let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion!" ［Tilda］
With a cheerful smile, Tilda congratulated Grey and Yuna with their sudden promotion, and not only that, she also dropped another bomb.
"Based on the calculated amount of points earned. You two have been promoted to C-rank! Congratulations!" ［Tilda］
It wasn't just one rank, they were immediately promoted two ranks higher. An occurrence which rarely happened in the guild.
But rather than happy, Grey and Yuna became confused at the sudden development. After all, it wasn't only the simultaneous promotion that was off, there were also other factors which did not make sense.
"Eh!? C-rank!? But shouldn't it supposed to be D-rank first? And what about the rank-up exam?" ［Grey］
"Well, the Guildmaster said there's no point in testing people who can defeat an Orc King easily. And since the amount of points you've earned reached the threshold for the C-rank examination, the guild thought it would be more efficient to promote you two by two ranks at once! ［Tilda］
Hearing Tilda's words, Grey was temporarily worried about the Guildmaster's sudden decision, but decided to just let it be. After all, there is probably no one in Galderia who would argue someone at the peak of C-rank, especially when that C-ranker was the Guildmaster himself.
Grey and Yuna then handed their guild cards to Tilda to complete the process of promotion. Shortly after, their cards were given back to them, though it was a little different than before. Their plain white cards were now silver-colored. It was a huge improvement!
The moment Grey and Yuna saw their cards, excitement couldn't be hidden on their faces. They weren't excited because it was silver, but rather, because they can finally accept quests which are more exciting than their usual ones.
Shortly after receiving their cards back, Grey and Yuna exited the guild, without taking any quests. There was only one thing on their mind. A thing that has been prolonged by 2 days due to the Orc Horde incident.
"Looks like we'll be having our promotion celebration, now." ［Grey］
"Un! I can't wait to eat the dishes Grey cooks!" ［Yuna］
"Hahahaha. Then, what manner of dishes would Milady prefer to be served on this joyous occasion?" ［Grey］
Acting formally once again, Yuna had a giggle from Grey's actions. It was an action Grey often performed jokingly to make Yuna smile.
"Then I'll be having curry and pudding, Sir Grey!" ［Yuna］
"As you wish, Milady." ［Grey］
Smiles blooming on their faces, Grey and Yuna went back to the "Rabbit's Den". Their early return surprised Helen who was doing reception work earnestly like a formal lady.
"Oh?! You two sure are back early. Did something happen?" ［Helen］
"Well, yeah. By the way, is the kitchen free right now?" ［Grey］
Hearing Grey's words, Helen's eyes beamed brightly as she sensed a great opportunity. It was not an opportunity related to romance, but an opportunity to eat yet another delicious meal.
With Grey using the kitchen from time to time, Helen has of course tasted his cooking. It was a taste which was quite different to his father's cooking, which she quickly fell in love with.
"Are you perhaps celebrating something?!" ［Helen］
"Ah, yes..." ［Grey］
"Un. We just got promoted." ［Yuna］
"Really?! Then we should really celebrate! Just wait a minute, I'll call my mom and dad!" ［Helen］
With speeds unexpected from a normal person, Helen quickly disappeared from Grey and Yuna's sight as she ran away from the reception desk towards the kitchen.
It made Grey wonder if she was even doing her job properly. After all, there was no one left at the reception desk. Even with their capabilities, neither Grey and Yuna could do anything if a customer were to come in.
"I heard from Helen that you two got promoted, congrats!" ［Gerd］
"Congratulations, Grey, Yuna." ［Selia］
"Thank you." ［Grey］ "Thanks." ［Yuna］
As Selia and Gerd extended their congratulations to Grey and Yuna, Helen was smiling happily at the side. After all, it was basically confirmed that she'll be able to eat something delicious.
"Then, then, Grey! Can you cook that 'curry' you made for Yuna yesterday? I heard from Yuna that it was delicious!" ［Helen］
"Hoy, Helen!" ［Gerd］
"Helen, mind your manners!" ［Selia］
Quicker than lightning, Gerd and Selia scolded Helen immediately after hearing her boisterous statement, making the latter pout as she mumbles quietly.
At that moment, Helen looked like a child who just got her toys confiscated because of her misbehavior. It was the first time for Grey and Yuna seeing Helen wear such a childish expression, and found it quite amusing.
"Hahaha, It's alright. I was planning on cooking it anyways. So, umm... Mister Gerd, could I borrow your kitchen once again?" ［Grey］
"Oh, so you're planning to cook that dish, huh..." ［Gerd］
Rather than answering Grey, Gerd fell silent for a quick moment. He was thinking so seriously, it became a little bit worrying to the others.
"Alright! Since you're going to cook an amazing dish, how about I'll cook with you. You cook the curry and I'll cook our specialty, the 'Gold-spotted Boar Stew'! What do you think, Grey?" ［Gerd］
At Gerd's sudden proposal, Grey was quite taken aback for a moment. He never thought Gerd would propose such an event.
At the same time, the passion of cooking boiled inside of him with the opportunity to learn a brand new dish. And it wasn't just any dish, it was a dish he could only find in Merusia!
"Sure!" ［Grey］
"Hahaha, that's the spirit!" ［Gerd］
Just like that, a conversation about promotion quickly turned into one that is about cooking. It was a moment where Grey and Gerd's passion as cooks was lit ablaze as if they were going into battle.
As for the three ladies with them, they just heaved a sigh of relief looking at the two grown adults excited at the thought of cooking. They looked at them as if they were hopeless, but at the same time, warm smiles were blooming in their faces as they shook their heads.
Next time, a cook off between Grey and Gerd!
CHAPTER 19 END