"I have a final request!" ［Eliza］
Eliza's loud voice, mismatching with her little stature, echoed throughout the dining hall as she announced her words. She successfully garnered everyone's attention with her sudden statement.
Contrary to Grey and Yuna's expectations, Eliza didn't cry over the thought of them leaving, rather, she boldly asked the two of them to fulfill a request of hers with eyes full of determination.
After breakfast, Grey, Yuna, and Eliza headed out of the mansion and then went straight out of Moterno as they headed to a nearby forest in order to fulfill Eliza's request which neither Grey nor Yuna had any knowledge about.
The both of them tried to ask Eliza about it, but the latter was adamant on keeping it a secret until they arrived at their destination. They were especially worried when she brought her weapon with her.
"We're here." ［Eliza］
A familiar scenery greeted Grey and Yuna as they arrived at the location. It was the same place where they would train Eliza and where she experienced a real fight for the very first time.
Looking around the place, one could easily notice the cracks and slashes created from Eliza's training. It was as if her training was just yesterday, although in reality, it has been more than a month already.
There were also more slashes and damage than what Grey remembered. The most recent looking ones looked as if they were just made a few days ago. Needless to say, they were much deeper and larger than the ones Grey remembered.
During the past month, Eliza would train in the forest from time to time and she would be escorted by a couple of knights. The first time the knights escorted her, they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Eliza taking down a group of goblins by herself with ease. She was no longer the delicate young lady they once knew.
"So, what is your request?" ［Grey］
Upon hearing Grey's question, Eliza became quiet for a little while. She then took a deep breath and when she voiced her request, he and Yuna heard something they didn't quite expect.
"Please let me have a match with you!" ［Eliza］
It was completely out of the blue. Neither Yuna nor Grey thought that that would be the contents of Eliza's request. At best, they thought that she would ask them to train her one last time.
"Hey, Liz, what are you talking about? You shouldn't joke likー" ［Yuna］
"Elder Sister Yuna, I'm serious! I want to know how strong I have become, and so, I want to have a match before the two of you leave. I know Father wouldn't permit it if I asked this during breakfast, that's why I wanted to get here before telling you. Please, this is my final request!" ［Eliza］
Eliza's determination did not waver with Yuna's words. Upon hearing her reasoning, it finally made sense to the two of them why Eliza acted the way she did. It was as if she already planned it long ago.
Although they understood Eliza's reasoning, they were troubled whether they should fulfill it. They didn't know what to feel about fighting a ten-year-old girl. Especially one which they consider their little sister.
Grey in particular was troubled with how to handle it. He wanted to refuse, but upon seeing Eliza's eyes, somehow, he couldn't bring himself to. She was wearing such strong eyes not even the veteran adventurers Grey had met possessed.
"Liz, please think of this proー" ［Yuna］
"Who do you want to fight against?" ［Grey］
"Grey, what are you talking about!?" ［Yuna］
A sudden outburst of Yuna's voice resounded in the peaceful forest as she couldn't believe what her ears had heard. Unlike her who tried to make Eliza reconsider, Grey suddenly approved of her request.
"If that's her final request, then we should grant it. It would just be rude to decline her request after she mustered all that courage to ask us. This could also be considered a part of her training." ［Grey］
"I know that, butー" ［Yuna］
"Don't worry, it will be fine. Trust me." ［Grey］
There were still traces of hesitation inside Yuna's heart, but she eventually gave up and decided to put her trust in both Grey and Eliza.
"So, Liz, will you be fighting?" ［Grey］
"The one I want to fight is you, Elder Brother Grey! Even though I know I'm going to lose, I want to see how well I can fare against the strongest person I know!" ［Eliza］
"The Strongest"... Eliza's words resounded loud and clear in Grey's heart and mind. Even though Grey knew that he was still far from getting a grasp on that title, he felt happy that Eliza held him in such high regards.
Although it was reckless of Eliza to request such a thing, it was a good opportunity to teach her how to be humble as it will not bring her any good if she doesn't realize that there are others who are above her.
Even for Grey and Yuna who are amongst the top 25 most powerful people in the world, they still did not let their strength get to their heads. There are still many people, not to mention beasts and monsters which are way above their league.
After deciding the match up, Eliza and Grey went to their positions while Yuna stayed away and just watched them from a distance away as a spectator. She will also serve as a barrier against outside interference.
"Grey! If something bad happens to Liz, I'm never going to forgive you!" ［Yuna］
Yuna warned Grey as she sat on top of a boulder nearby. Even when she had already agreed to the fight and she trusted Grey very much, she couldn't help but worry about Eliza's safety.
Well, it was needless worry. There was no way Grey would bring harm to Eliza. Even if they didn't know each other, no one in their right mind would hurt a ten-year-old girl just because in a sparring match. Only crazy idiots would.
"Elder Brother Grey, are you ready?" ［Eliza］
In response to Eliza's question, Grey nodded his head quietly, thus signaling the start of the match.
Without wasting any time, Eliza unsheathed her sword and lunged herself towards Grey. It was a good strategy to have initiated the first move, too bad for her, Grey's reflexes were even faster.
One after another, Eliza launched an attack straight towards Grey, aiming for his chest, head, flanks, and legs. But every time she attacked, Grey would just simply block it perfectly with his gauntlets, preventing her from landing a hit.
Seeing that her normal attacks didn't have any effect on Grey, Eliza backed off a few steps back and then once again pounced towards him. She then swiftly raised her sword and...
"⟨⟨Heavy Slaー" ［Eliza］
Thinking that Eliza was about to land an attack from above, Grey raised his arms in order to block it, but contrary to his expectations, it was just a feint. Eliza's patterns have changed from simple to strategic.
Eliza quickly reabsorbed the mana from her art and hastily threw her sword upwards. She then docked as Grey's vision was covered by his gauntlets, and with all her strength, she then launched a punch towards Grey's sides.
Unlucky for her, Grey was able to dodge it by simply jumping backwards, but Eliza did not give up. Before her sword dropped to the ground, she managed to catch it and perform another attack.
⟨⟨Soaring Edge!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］
A blade made out of mana materialized in front of Eliza and flew straight towards Grey's face when he was still midair from his jump. Luckily, because of his quick reflexes, he was able to utilize wind magic and change its trajectory.
The blade on the other hand continued flying in the direction it was fired off and cut off a tree's branch, just some distance away.
'Phew... That was close.' ［Grey］
Even if it wouldn't have hurt him, that attack was something that could easily hurt any adventurer below F-rank. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Eliza one of the best amongst the G-rankers after seeing her performance so far.
When Grey landed from his jump, Eliza didn't let him off the hook and once again started a barrage of attacks towards me. All of which, Grey dodged just barely by a hair's breadth.
"⟨⟨Heavy Slasー" ［Eliza］
Eliza once again tried to fire an art, but before she could even complete it, Grey hit the bottom of her hands with his palm, inflicting a slight pain and making Eliza lose grip of her sword.
But Eliza didn't stop attacking just because she lost her weapon. With her other hand, she gathered the mana from the surroundings preparing to launch a spell at point blank range.
⟨⟨Geyser!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］
As a high-pressure stream of water raced towards Grey like a famished beast, Grey quickly stepped back a couple of meters. Seeing that, Eliza quickly grabbed her sword from the ground and chased after him.
She slashed, and slashed, and slashed some more. It was a relentless barrage of attacks performed by Eliza. Something no one from the same rank would be able to survive unscathed.
"Elder Brother Grey! Please take me seriously!" ［Eliza］
Unsatisfied about Grey's performance, Eliza voiced out her complaint with a serious tone and eyes raging with determination. She had long noticed that the display Grey showed was far worse than the time he fought the knights.
While Grey has not used even a fraction of his real power, he had already adjusted his strength and actions to match that of an F-ranker. Even if he was not using his abilities, it was still amazing that Eliza could keep up with him.
Seeing how much stronger Eliza has become, Grey couldn't help but reminisce about the time when he and Yuna first trained her. Even when he was in the middle of battle, he couldn't help but admire the strength of the young lady before him.
'Well, If that's what you want... then I'll take you with everything I've got!' ［Grey］
Grey quickly broke all the limits he placed upon himself, and when he did, he immediately disappeared from Eliza's view. She kept looking for him, but it was futile. Nevertheless, Eliza didn't drop her guard down.
"There!" ［Eliza］
When Eliza detected something, she quickly lunged her sword towards that direction. But too bad for her, it was just a leaf decoy Grey created with the use of plant magic. Grey was actually behind her.
Taking that chance, Grey quickly thrusted his fist towards Eliza's body. The latter tried to block it but she was a moment too late. Just a few milliseconds before his fist could hit Liz, Grey quickly halted it, and then casted his attack.
⟨⟨Sleep⟩⟩ ［Grey］
As a burst of wind gushed from the vacuum Grey's punch created, Eliza's consciousness started to fade into darkness as Grey's spell started to take effect. She tried to fight against it, but it was futile, she still succumbed to it.
"That was a good fight. You did well, Liz." ［Grey］
After the fight finished, Yuna came rushing towards the two of them and checked up on Eliza's condition. But since Grey didn't even try to hurt her, she was perfectly fine, only exhausted.
With Eliza's request fulfilled, they then headed back to the mansion to let Eliza rest. Grey also casted holy magic on her so that her body wouldn't hurt from rapid mana exhaustion when she wakes up.
It was already evening when Eliza woke up, but during the time she was asleep, Yuna and Grey stayed by her side because they were worried about her. They didn't leave the bedside even for a second.
"Huh? Where am I..." ［Eliza］
"You're in your room, Liz. We brought you here after you fell unconscious from the match." ［Yuna］
"Un... conscious...? Ah... So it's over already..." ［Eliza］
Hearing that the match had concluded, Eliza became dejected. Her eyes became crestfallen as a slightly pained expression was casted on her face.
"Liz..." ［Yuna］
"Ah! You don't need to worry about me, Elder Sister Yuuna. I knew full well how strong Elder Brother Grey even before I challenged him, so I knew that I would lose no matter what I dー" ［Eliza］
"You feel lonely, don't you?" ［Yuna］
Yuna said as she gently grasped Eliza into her embrace, cutting the latter's words short. Soon after, tears started to form in Eliza's eyes and she started bawling just like how she did before.
Eliza wasn't dejected because she lost the match, rather, she was just saddened by the fact that Grey and Yuna were going to depart tomorrow. Even the match was just an excuse so that she could spend more time with them.
She cried and cried until her tears dried as Yuna consoled her in her embrace. Grey wanted to help out, but it wasn't exactly easy for him to join in on their situation. All he could do was prepare a glass of water after Eliza stopped crying.
"Are you alright now, Liz?" ［Yuna］
"Un... Sorry for crying too much..." ［Eliza］
"Don't worry about it. You can cry however much you want. Your Elder Sister will be here for you to lean on." ［Yuna］
Yuna said to Eliza as she gently patted her head. While she was doing so, Yuna could remember the times Grey also comforted her. It has been a long time since the first time Grey consoled her yet she could still clearly remember it. It was a precious memory.
Grey looked at the two of them warmly. He was also reminiscing about the past as he watched Yuna comfort Eliza. It was strange that the two of them were thinking of the same thing without opening their mouths. Was it just a coincidence? Only fate knows.
There was only one thing which was bothering him. It was who would protect Eliza when the two of them were gone. It wasn't that he doesn't trust Fritz's capabilities, but that he wants more reassurance if something were to ever happen.
'I guess there's only one way, huh...' ［Grey］
No matter how hard Grey tried to think, only one solution came to mind, and he decided to act on it. He also notified the other party involved in his plan, who happily obliged to do so.
"Liz, come here." ［Grey］
Grey called out to Eliza as he opened his "Sanctuary". Not only Eliza, but also Yuna was surprised by his actions. Yuna was surprised why Grey suddenly decided to show one of his abilities to Eliza.
"Elder Brother Grey, that is..." ［Eliza］
"Ah, it's my ability. Here, hold my hand." ［Grey］
"U... Un..." ［Eliza］
Although she was a little hesitant, Eliza still grabbed Grey's hands and followed him inside the "Sanctuary". Yuna also tagged along, but was not even a bit cautious as she had already seen it many times before.
Upon entrance, the first thing that greeted Eliza was a cold wind as it gently caressed her cheeks. It was as if she was suddenly transported in a place far away as the stars above greeted her.
Well, if it was still daytime, a wholly different scenery and atmosphere would have greeted her. Because it was already dark, Eliza did not notice the crops Grey was growing. After all, Grey was utilizing that ability for farming.
The only thing which allowed Eliza to see was the light from the stars above and from the "Illuminate" spell had just casted.
"Waahー Huh...?" ［Eliza］
Eliza's amazed gasp was stopped midway as she noticed a familiar little figure wagging its tail energetically and looking at her with innocent eyes. It was one of the "wolf pups" she played with just this morning.
"Puppy...?" ［Eliza］
"Liz, I'm about to show you one of mine and Yuna's secrets. Promise me to not be too surprised, okay?" ［Grey］
"U-Un!" ［Eliza］
Eliza really did not understand what Grey was unto, but she still nodded to his words. Meanwhile, Yuna held her hands just in case she got scared.
"Alright, Polaris, turn back into your true form." ［Grey］
With Grey's words, mist filled the surroundings and the little furball that was once present was now nowhere to be found. Soon after, in the midst of all the mist, a large silhouette suddenly appeared.
It didn't take long for the mist to clear up. And with the light shining from Grey's spell, a magnificent and domineering creature was revealed with its eyes sparkling like a river illuminated by the moonlight.
"I believe this is the first time I'm formally introducing myself. I am Master Grey and Mistress Yuna's first familiar, Polaris. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eliza." ［Polaris］
A gentle yet clear voice resounded throughout the night sky as Polaris introduced himself. And although she was a little surprised, after hearing that he was Grey and Yuna's familiar, Eliza immediately loosened up and let her guard down.
"N-Nice to m-meet you, too. I'm E-Eliza von Lande-devar! Th-Thank you for taking c-care of m-me this morning!" ［Eliza］
"There's no need to be formal, Lady Eliza. I'm just but a humble familiar," ［Polaris］
"A-Ah, Un!" ［Eliza］
With Polaris' words, the tension in Eliza's body has fully been released and she immediately opened up her heart to him. Having played with him once, Eliza knew he was not an evil creature.
"As you can see, Polaris is not just any normal familiar. Along with the others, he could change his form to suit his needs. He's also almost as powerful as me so he's really reliable, and... starting today, he will be protecting you in our place." ［Grey］
As she heard Grey's words, Eliza's eyes looked up to meet Polaris'. While she couldn't see clearly in the night, she could very well tell that he was some sort of dragon. In short, there was no doubt that he was very powerful.
No matter how hard she tried, Eliza couldn't understand why Grey would give her such a precious escort. Not even royalty could enjoy such luxury. All she could think of was that Grey greatly cared about her. It made her really happy.
"I'll be in your care... Polaris..." ［Eliza］
With a smile on her face and happiness filling her heart, Eliza gratefully accepted Grey's proposal. Although Yuna was not informed beforehand, she immediately understood Grey's intentions as soon as she saw Polaris. Eliza's safety was also something she wished for.
Although Polaris will be staying with Eliza from now on, there were no disadvantages for Grey and Yuna in this deal. After all, they could still summon him if they ever needed something, and if they could also get live updates to Eliza's situation with the use of telepathy.
After introducing Polaris and Eliza to one another, they went back to Eliza's room and then had dinner afterwards. Of course, Grey and Yuna made sure to mention to Eliza to keep things secret even to Fritz, which she gladly agreed to.
With the night getting deeper, everyone headed to their own rooms to retire for the night. And with Eliza cuddling with Polaris, Yuna didn't need to sleep with her and could stay together with Grey.
"Hnngg... It's finally time for bedtime..." ［Yuna］
"Yuna, could you close your eyes for a minute?" ［Grey］
"Hm...? Sure." ［Yuna］
Whilst she was stretching her arms, Grey suddenly requested her to close her eyes without any explanations. Nevertheless, she still granted his request and closed her eyes without asking any questions.
Although she couldn't see, she could still hear and feel what Grey was doing. She heard a clicking sound along with Grey's footsteps, and soon after she could feel something touch her neck. She was slightly embarrassed but didn't voice out any words.
"You can open your eyes now." ［Grey］
When Yuna opened her eyes, the first thing to greet her was a beautiful necklace hanging on her neck. Its chains were made of palladium and an emerald green gemstone was embedded in its charm.
"Is this..." ［Yuna］
"That's right. It's a 'Seed of Vitality'. I remembered that you wanted it, so I made an accessory with it yesterday. Also... I made one for myself so we have matching accessories... Do you like it?" ［Grey］
Embarrassed, Grey showed the necklace he had been stealthily wearing all this time to Yuna. It was made from a spare "Seed of Vitality" they got during the whole month they were in the labyrinth.
Yuna's eyes locked towards the necklace Grey was wearing for a short moment before she looked at the one she was wearing once again as she gently touched it. A small smile sprouted on Yuna's face.
"Un, I love it." ［Yuna］
Yuna nodded her head slightly to Grey's question, and ended the statement with a bright smile on her face. Seeing her smile, Grey felt like every single ounce of effort he poured into making them was worth it. He was very satisfied.
In the depth of the night and the coldness of the breeze, Grey and Yuna lips linked to one another as they shared a kiss illuminated by the moonlight seeping from the balcony window.
CHAPTER 65 END