"Ah! Mister Grey, Miss Yuna, I've been waiting for you!" ［Tilda］
A familiar voice called out to Grey and Yuna as they stepped foot inside the guild. It was Tilda, who, for one reason or another, had sort of become their personal receptionist.
It has been a couple of days since Grey and Yuna participated in the raid, and like Kris had told Grey, the two immediately reported to the guild after arriving at Galderia. But after that, they just rested in the inn and didn't take any quests.
It was only after their rest that they decided to head towards the adventurer's guild. After all, they were still more or less adventurers, and quite the high-ranked ones at that.
"Uhh... Is it perhaps the Guildmaster?" ［Grey］
"Ah, y-yes..." ［Tilda］
Basing his conclusion on the traces of urgency in Tilda's voice, Grey had expected that it was the Guildmaster waiting for them and he was right. Of course, that call is going to be about the raid he and Yuna just participated in a while ago.
Although Tilda was a little taken aback by Grey's quick uptake, she quickly composed herself back to her usual professional self. She then briefly explained to Grey and Yuna the details she knew about.
Knock Knock Knock
"Come in." ［Gaston］
After knocking three times on the door, the Guildmaster let Grey and Yuna inside the office, and unsurprisingly, Kurt and Vanessa, who are the kingdom's representatives, were also there.
Kurt and Vanessa had already finished their preliminary investigations in the base of operations of Iblis and currently, the ones who are guarding it are the knights and soldiers of Galderia's lord.
Although Galderia's lord had no knowledge about the beast incidents or about Iblis, he quickly lent out his troops after a brief request from Vanessa. He was quite the considerate lord.
"Yuna～" ［Vanessa］
The moment Vanessa spotted Yuna, she quickly rushed to her and gave her a warm and tight embrace. She was wearing a bright smile on her face.
She was like an older sister who had just reunited with her little sister after a long time. The only difference was that they were neither sisters nor they have been separated for a long time. It has only been three days since they last saw each other.
Her real younger brother who was beside her only shook his head after seeing his sister's actions. Kurt had already given up on Vanessa.
"Big Sis... Vanessa... I can't... breathe..." ［Yuna］
And being on the receiving end, Yuna couldn't help and comment as her face was buried in between Vanessa's bountiful chest. It was like she was being suffocated by Vanessa's "love".
"Elder Sister, please behave yourself. Can't you see your making it hard to breathe for Lady Yuna?" ［Kurt］
"Oh, sorry, Yuna. I got carried away. Teehee." ［Vanessa］
"It's... alright... haah... haah..." ［Yuna］
Yuna's breathing was slightly rugged as Vanessa let go of her. It seemed like she really was suffocating under Vanessa's large bosom. Her complexion was even a little bit pale.
Although Yuna has quite the ample bosom, Vanessa's was on another level. Combined with their beauty and curves, it was like two goddesses have descended upon the world.
"So, why did you call for us? Is it about Iblis?" ［Grey］
As Yuna was still catching her breath, Grey asked the Guildmaster for the reason why he was upon them. Grey already has a rough idea but it didn't hurt to confirm it from the person themself.
"That, and one other thing." ［Gaston］
"One other thing?" ［Grey］
"Yeah, but before that, I'll tell you two how Iblis' hideout and properties will be handled. I've already asked Kris and Aira's opinion about it and they said they're fine with it. So if you two want to change something, just tell me or Lord Kurt about it. We'll try to address it if your request is reasonable." ［Gaston］
Kurt nodded silently in affirmation to the Guildmaster's words. As apparently, the rough management plans have already been laid out.
Grey couldn't help but notice that Vanessa's name wasn't mentioned by the Guildmaster even when she was supposed to be the leader of the operation. It was then that he remembered Vanessa's personality that his question was answered.
"Alright." ［Grey］
"Un." ［Yuna］
"First, about the hideout, its management will be given to the kingdom. Any tools or valuables found there will also be given to the kingdom, but an appropriate amount of money will be paid to the raid participants in exchange for these items.
Next, the quest items and materials harvested from the creatures defeated will be split equally amongst the six who participated in the raid. And the decision on how to handle these quest items will be left to their respective owners.
Lastly, regarding the beast crystals dropped by the beasts, its ownership will be given to the ones who have defeated it. And as Lord Kurt, Lady Vanessa, Kris, and Aria had testified, the S-rank beast crystal will be given to Grey, its rightful owner. As for the remaining ones, it will be up to the six of you to decide." ［Gaston］
Grey nodded in agreement towards the terms Gaston mentioned while Yuna listened silently. There was nothing unreasonable within the terms Gaston had mentioned.
Since the raid is just about the same as bandit suppression quests, the items in the hideout should belong to the ones who defeated them. So by paying the appropriate amount, the kingdom can continue their investigation while not angering the raid team members.
The same thing goes for the materials the demonic beasts dropped, but since Grey and Yuna are mostly interested in meat only, they would probably end up selling those materials. After all, no matter how one would look at it, those creatures looked inedible.
The only thing worth noting was the beast crystals. As opposed to normal mana crystal which serves as an energy source, beast crystals can be used to enchant things, create useful magic tools, and most importantly, it can create familiars.
While there exist summoning magic, summoning monsters or beasts made of mana is too costly. Summoning a single goblin would take more than triple the amount of mana to cast a spell which can easily take it out. Not to mention, the summons disappear after a certain period of time. It was only useful in certain circumstances that's why not many people learn it.
But the beauty of familiar is that they are as powerful as the beasts who have been defeated, costs less mana, has a mind of their own, and lasts much longer, with some reaching even millennia. They could even be summoned at the master's will. They are the sole reason why beast crystals are so prized.
No matter which angle Grey looked at it, everything was at their disadvantage. The Guildmaster wasn't lying either. It was the best offer they could receive.
"What do you think, Yuna?" ［Grey］
"Mmm... I'll leave it all to you." ［Yuna］
When Grey asked Yuna about it, she thought for a quick moment and decided to leave it all to Grey. After all, Grey was her most trusted person in the world. She trusts that whatever Grey decides to do is for the better.
"Alright... Then we are fine with it too. And regarding the creature's loot, we'll sell all of them." ［Grey］
"Are you sure?" ［Gaston］
"Well, it's not like we have any uses for them." ［Grey］
"I see... then we'll send you the payment as soon as we can. It would probably take a couple of weeks with all the regulations and processes, but I assure you that it will be a reasonable amount." ［Gaston］
"Then we'll leave it all to you," ［Grey］
"Thank you." ［Yuna］
After deciding on the terms and agreement between the raid team, the Guildmaster immediately handed Grey the S-rank beast crystal and Grey and Yuna were made to sign a contract.
It wasn't contract magic but just a simple contract. The only difference between it and the contracts in Earth, the signatures were not written in ink but rather, was an imprint of one's mana signature.
"Well then, that should be all regarding the handling. Now then, let's talk about the other topic." ［Gaston］
The Guildmaster grabbed everybody's attention as he stored the contract documents in a safe. It was the very same safe where he stored the documents about Iblis weeks ago.
Of course, Grey and Yuna were the ones whose attention was caught the most with the Guidlmaster's words. Other than the Iblis incident, they have no idea what other thing the Guildmaster was talking about.
"As per Lord Kurt and Lady Vanessa's request, your raid contributions will be recorded as a quest in the Adventurer's Guild. This earns the both of you 30,000 points each! And of course, that also means you two are now eligible to take the B-rank promotion test.
Normally, you can only take B-rank promotion in the capital, but with Lord Kurt, Lady Vanessa, and me as your witnesses, we can conduct it right now. Of course, it still depends on you two if you want to take it right now. So... what do you say?" ［Gaston］
Gaston explained with an excited grin on his face. He clearly wanted to see the two fight once again. Even when his eyes couldn't catch up with their speeds, he still wanted to observe them.
The two who were on the receiving end of the question were still quite shocked about Gaston's announcement. As they volunteered themselves to the raid, they didn't expect they would earn points from it. It was most likely to Kurt and Vanessa's influence that such a thing was possible.
Grey glanced at Yuna as he asked for her opinion and Yuna nodded silently in response. She and Grey already came to a decision. After all, they were still adventures, and as adventurers, it's only natural for them to rank-up and take even more challenging quests.
"We'll take it." ［Grey］
"Haha, I thought so... Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's head to the examination room!" ［Gaston］
With the Guildmaster leading the way, Grey and company headed towards the examination room. Vanessa and the Guildmaster in particular couldn't hide the excitement in their faces.
What greeted them when they entered was a very familiar sight. In just less than two months, it was already the 3rd time Grey and Yuna entered it. An unprecedented rate within the guild's records.
"Shall we start?" ［Gaston］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
Like usual, Yuna was the first one to head inside the examination area. She has already equipped her daggers and is already in her battle mode. She was wearing a cold and serious expression on her face.
"Then..." ［Gaston］
Soon after Yuna was in position, the guildmaster quickly summoned her opponent. It was a monster both Grey and Yuna had fought time and time again back in the special dungeon.
Clad in heavy armor made of a material much much tougher than diamonds, and equipped with a sword which can easily cut any boulder. A higher variant of a Dullahan, a Dullahan Captain!
"Guildmaster, how much can this room endure?" ［Grey］
"That's… what you're worried about...?" ［Gaston］
The Guildmaster asked with a dumbfounded face. It was the first time someone has ever asked him that. As normally, people would ask if their partner would be alright in situations like these.
Kurt was also wearing the same expression as the Guildmaster, but after recalling the capabilities of the two, he returned to his normal self. Vanessa on the other hand was cheering supportively towards Yuna.
"Haah... Don't worry, as long as it isn't advanced-level or above, this room wouldn't receive any damage." ［Gaston］
"I see... Thank you." ［Grey］
Hearing the Guildmaster's words, Grey felt relief in his heart. Now, they don't have to worry about accidentally breaking the room. Just the look of it and one could already tell that making it was quite pricey.
Shhinggg Clanggg Thanggg
The sound of metal hitting one another echoed in the room as the Dullahan Captain tried to swing its sword towards Yuna, but no matter how quickly it attacked, it would always miss. On the other hand, Yuna has been perfectly landing hits on it one after another.
Yuna appeared from one spot and then disappeared again. It was a repetitive pattern which she performed as she slowly but surely crippled the enemy.
Enraged by Yuna's actions, the Dullahan Captain brought down a heavy vertical swing towards Yuna, but before it could even touch her...
⟨⟨Dice!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
... a fury of slashes rained down upon it. Each slash was capable of cutting through iron with ease.
Left arm, right leg, torso. The attacks didn't leave any of the Dullahan Captain's body unaccounted for. The moment the attacks halted, the enemy was already turned into a pile of scrap metal.
"You did it, Yuna! Big Sis is super proud of you!" ［Vanessa］
As soon as Yuna defeated the enemy, Vanessa once again hugged Yuna as tightly as she could, and once again, Yuna was subjected to suffocation under her large bosom.
Soon after Yuna defeated the Dullahan Captain, Grey headed up next in the circle and once again, another Dullahan Captain was summoned in to become his opponent.
The moment it spotted Grey, the Dullahan Captain immediately rushed towards him and raised its sword up in the air. Grey responded in kind and also rushed towards it.
⟨⟨Phantom Caliber!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Grey's attack was faster than lighting and immediately connected to the Dullahan Captain's body when it went inside his attack range. The opponent didn't even have the chance to swing its sword.
As soon as the punch connected, string vibrations quickly ran throughout the Dullahan Captain's body, making its armor pieces burst and fly throughout the room as it was defeated.
Luckily, everyone in the room was a capable person and so no one was hurt. After all, the force at which the armor pieces fly throughout the room was enough to knock even veteran adventurers unconscious.
"Haah.. As expected, you took it down in a single blow." ［Gaston］
"Good job, Grey! You're just as amazing as Yuna!" ［Vanessa］
After Grey's feat, the Guidmaster and Vanessa gave their comments, while Kurt just observed silently. Only nodding as if saying "Well done". As for Yuna, she is already of Grey's strength so there was no need to say a word.
"Alright, Are there any complaints from the witnesses?" ［Gaston］
"None." ［Kurt］
"Same here～." ［Vanessa］
"Well then, Grey, Yuna, I officially declare the both of you as B-rank adventurers. Congratulations!" ［Gaston］
"Congrats! You two were ama～zing!" ［Vanessa］
"Congratulations, Sir Grey, Lady Yuー No, I suppose I should call you Count Grey and Countess Yuna now?" ［Kurt］
After the guildmaster's declaration, everyone congratulated Grey and Yuna on passing the exam. But among the three of them, there was one which seemed a little off.
"Count...? Countess...?" ［Yuna］
It was Kurt's comment. Yuna in particular had a hard time understanding what it meant. After all, unlike Grey, she didn't have the knowledge God provided.
"Ah, Yuna, you see..." ［Grey］
Grey didn't waste any time after seeing Yuna's confused face and explained everything to her in a brief and understandable manner.
In Merusia, there is one rule that will remain true wherever you go in the world, and that rule is "The strong shall triumph". That's why the world agreed to give those B-rank and above honorary or non-hereditary peerage ranks.
Although it may seem that it is just a way to appease the high-rankers and make things convenient for them, it also serves to stop nobility from doing something stupid to them and endangering their subjects.
About three-hundred years ago, a king once held a discussion with someone of disaster class. But when the Disaster-ranker refused the king's orders, the king started insulting him saying that he is just a commoner and that he should obey his king. As one would have guessed, the Disaster-ranker was enraged and ended up destroying that whole aristocratic class of that kingdom.
In order to stop that from happening again, the honorary system was built. B-rankers were given the peerage rank of "Count", A-rankers with "Duke", S-rankers with "Archduke", Calamity-rankers with "King", Disaster-rankers with "Emperor", and Catastrophe-rankers as "Grand Emperor".
There is no such rank as "Grand Emperor" in Merusia's royalties. It was a title only given to those who have reached Catastrophe Class. It was a title which ruled above all, be it nobility or royalty.
There are also some countries which granted the rank of "Baronet" to those who have reached C-rank, but Alfrione is not one of them. It was just a new proposal that not all countries use.
These ranks are not country-specific so they work anywhere in the world. They aren't just decorations, they also give the high-rankers the same privilege and authority corresponding to their ranks.
Up to this date, this system is still active. But in order to have this rank, one should prove their strength first, either by joining the army, ranking up as an adventurer, or simply just getting your true rank evaluated. Though the last one requires the consent of the royal family so that case is rather rare.
Kurt and Aria are also entitled by this privilege as well, but since they were more comfortable with a more casual form of address, they let people they know to address them casually.
Of course, Vanessa and Kurt were also entitled to the usage of the titles "Countess" and "Count", respectively. But with the situation before being as serious as it was, Grey didn't have the courtesy to explain to Yuna, thus the reason why they have been referring to them as "Lord" and "Lady" up until now.
"I see,,," ［Yuna］
After Grey's explanation, Yuna quickly got it. But even with that, she still couldn't believe she now has the same authority as the nobility. She still couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Um... Lord Kurt, Me and Yuna are not really that good with formalities, so umm... it would be better if you could just call us more casually." ［Grey］
"U-Un! You can just call me 'Yuna' as well!" ［Yuna］
"I see... In that case, feel free to call me 'Kurt'. Once again, congratulations on reaching B-rank, Grey, Yuna!" ［Kurt］
"Thank you." ［Grey］
"Thanks." ［Yuna］
"Eh, what about me?" ［Vanessa］
Just as the three finished giving their regards to one another, Vanessa suddenly pitched in. She didn't want to be left out in their conversation.
"Umm... Do you want me to call you without honorifics too, Lady Vanessa?" ［Grey］
"No, just like Yuna, call me 'Big Sis' as well!" ［Vanessa］
Vanessa shook her head as she declared her proposition with great enthusiasm, leaving Grey and Kurt baffled.
"Umm... Wouldn't 'Miss Vanessa' be enough?" ［Grey］
"No! Call me 'Big Sis'!" ［Vanessa］
"Then just 'Vanessa'?" ［Grey］
"Big! Sis!" ［Vanessa］
Grey tried to bargain with Vanessa but it was useless. Vanessa's eyes were shining brightly as she anticipated Grey calling her "Big Sis".
In the end, Grey couldn't do anything against Vanessa's persistence and ended up promising to call her "Big Sis Vanessa" from hereon forwards. Vanessa has acquired het another younger sibling,
The odd event made Grey think about how powerless he was against Vanessa. Even when he could beat her in a fight, she could overpower him in other aspects. He would rather fight another S-rank beast than fight with her.
CHAPTER 33 END