"Are you sure you did not forget anything?" ［Fritz］
"Yeah, there shouldn't be anything left. If anything, we're bringing more than what we previously had." ［Grey］
"Un. Thank you for letting us stay here." ［Yuna］
"Don't mention it. I owe you my daughter's life, after all." ［Fritz］
With the rising of a new day, the time for Grey and Yuna's departure has also arrived. While they have enjoyed their two months of stay in Moterno, they still have a home to return to and that was Galderia.
Currently, Grey and Yuna are being sent off by Fritz, Eliza, Sebastian, Rhodes, and a couple of acquaintances from the servants. Amongst the ones sending them off, one was in a particularly gloomy mood.
"Are you really leaving?" ［Eliza］
It was Eliza who was currently hugging Polaris, in wolf pup form, in her arms. But even though she was sad, she held back her tears while sending the two off. She didn't want to cause any trouble for Grey and Yuna.
"Sorry, Liz, but we really need to return to Galderia. Don't worry, we'll visit you when we can, okay?" ［Yuna］
"Un..." ［Eliza］
Even though she was against them leaving, Eliza still nodded quietly as she cherished every last bit of time they had with one another. Even with crestfallen eyes, she tried her best to send them off with a smile.
"Lord Grey, Lady Yuna, the next time we meet, I'm going to surprise you with better dishes than before! I'll make sure to keep in mind the things you taught me!" ［Rhodes］
"Then, I'm looking forward to that, Mister Rhodes." ［Grey］
"Fufu, looks like we'll be able to eat delicious dishes again." ［Yuna］
Contrary to Eliza's crestfallen attitude, Rhodes was burning with passion as he looks forward to the day where he can surprise Grey and Yuna with the best of dishes. He was determined to become an even better chef.
"Sad as it may be, I'm also bidding you farewell, Lady Yuna, Lord Grey. I hope your journey goes well." ［Sebastian］
"Thank you, Mister Sebastian." ［Grey］
"Un." ［Yuna］
The last one to relay his words was Sebastian who not only carried his own, but the wishes of everyone, including the servants standing behind him. Even when he was acting in a business-formal manner, all of his words were sincere.
『Polaris, we leave them to your care.』 ［Grey］
『Keep them safe, okay?』 ［Yuna］
『You can rest assured, Master, Mistress.』 ［Polaris］
Of course, they didn't forget to remind Polaris of his duties. There was no need to say goodbye to him as they could just summon him over whenever they wanted to and converse with him telepathically.
"Well then, we'll be going now." ［Grey］
"See you next time～!" ［Yuna］
After saying their final words for each other, it was finally time for Grey and Yuna to depart. Slowly, they turned around and waved their hands goodbye as they walked off into the horizon.
But just when the two of them thought we were already out of sight, Eliza hurriedly came running from the mansion towards them, only stopping by the time Grey and Yuna noticed her.
"Older Brother Grey, Elder Sister Yuna, next time! I promise I will be stronger! I will make you proud of me!" ［Eliza］
Grasping her breath, Eliza shouted loudly towards the two of them with all her might. Her eyes were brimming with such strong passion that one could easily tell she was serious about it.
Unbeknownst to her, Grey and Yuna were already plenty proud of her. She had achieved what most people in her age group couldn't. Nevertheless, hearing her words, Grey and Yuna couldn't help but feel happy.
"Well then, we'll be waiting for that day to come!" ［Grey］
"Good luck, Liz～!" ［Yuna］
Hearing their words, Eliza quickly came running back and returned to the mansion. And seeing her safely return home, Yuna and Grey continued their journey towards the town gates.
Before leaving town, they visited Althea and Anna to tell them of their departure, and also did the same for Gil and Hal. And of course, they even paid a visit to the Sagrada Company's President, Argas.
After all of that, there was one place they visited before they fully departed. It was the Labyrinth of Death which had fully gone inactive. There were only a few soldiers standing guard in front of it.
"Your Excellencies, do you want something from here?" ［Soldier 1］
When they arrived there, the first one to greet them was one of the soldiers who were guarding the labyrinth when they exited it. With his lead, the other soldiers also followed suit and greeted Grey and Yuna.
"No, we just came to visit the labyrinth before we depart for Galderia." ［Grey］
"Oh, I see... Then please take all the time you need in the labyrinth. We'll just be here if you need something." ［Soldier 1］
"Don't worry, we won't take too long." ［Grey］
"Sorry for the trouble." ［Yuna］
"It isn't troublesome at all. People do visit from time to time to pay their respects before departing. It's quite a common practice. We'll just be staying here so as to not intrude on your privacy." ［Soldier 1］
After saying that, the soldier, along with his colleagues, left Grey and Yuna alone. They were trying to be considerate but still made sure that they could watch over the Labyrinth of Death.
Without wasting more time, Yuna Grey I had a little walk inside the labyrinth, but unlike when it was active, the torchstones didn't light up when they were nearby. So instead of relying on them, Grey had casted a light spell.
"It's even darker than before, huh..." ［Grey］
"Un... It looks nothing like the labyrinth we were just in a few days ago." ［Yuna］
As they walked inside, they reminisced about the memories the two of them made there, like the moment Yuna reached S-rank, the time they summoned their familiars, or when they had become lovers.
Though it was probably the least romantic place to confess to and to hook up, the Labyrinth of Death held a special meaning to the both of them. It was something no other place could replace.
"Grey..." ［Yuna］
"Hm?" ［Grey］
"Next time... Let's challenge the labyrinth once again, but by then, let's make sure to conquer it!" ［Yuna］
Yuna boldly declared as she clenched her fist and her eyes sparkled with burning determination. She was wearing similar eyes to Eliza just a few moments ago which made Grey chuckle a little.
"Sure. Let's conquer it." ［Grey］
With that promise engraved in their hearts, they then went out of the labyrinth and said our goodbye to the soldier from before. Since they didn't have anything more to do, Yuna and Grey started our journey back to Galderia.
Just like the time they headed to Moterno, Yuna Grey I took the forest route, and just like time, they had some minor inconveniences and encountered some monsters and beasts. Nevertheless we still managed to arrive in Galderia safely.
On their journey to Moterno, it took them almost the whole day to reach Moterno, but because of their newfound strength, the way back was a lot quicker. They managed to arrive a few hours before sunset even when they departed much later.
"Hm? Aren't those..." ［Dale］
Just as they approached the gates, one very familiar figure came into their view, squinting his eyes to see who was approaching. It was Dale who was guarding the gates earnestly.
"Long time no see, Mister Dale!" ［Grey］
"Nice to meet you again～!" ［Yuna］
"I knew it! It's Grey and Yuna! You two sure took your time in Moterno. So, how was your experience there?" ［Dale］
"It was good! We met a lot of people there and saw a lot of new things. And the food there was delicious! The Kiria candy was especially delicious!" ［Yuna］
Yuna happily reported their experiences to Dale, greatly emphasizing the part where she mentioned the kinds of food they had experienced. Even including a candy Grey didn't know about.
"Yeah, it was all well, though... we did encounter a bit of trouble." ［Grey］
"Well, you can't expect every trip to become perfect. There will always be little inconveniences anywhere you go." ［Dale］
To Dale's words, all Grey and Yuna could muster was a dry laugh. After all, those little inconveniences included an attempt to abduct the lord's daughter, assassination attempts, and a prison break.
No matter where you go, those were things one could only encounter when they are especially unlucky. Luckily, it was Grey and Yuna who were involved with it. They had enough power to stop them.
"Anyway, why didn't you two tell me that you two had become B-rankers. Should I start addressing you two as "Your Excellency" now?" ［Grey］
"Please don't. It's really uncomfortable." ［Yuna］
"Yeah... Almost everybody in Moterno was already addressing us like that. Please don't add to our suffering." ［Grey］
"Hahaha! It must have been tough for you. Well, it's good that you're not letting all that power get into your heads. It's rare to see youngsters like you these days." ［Dale］
Dale laughed boisterously as he aggressively and energetically patted Grey's back. He didn't hold back since he knew Grey could handle his strength. After all, to a B-ranker, it would only feel like an itch.
Grey and Yuna chattled with Dale a little bit before they headed inside the city. Their first destination was the Adventurers' Guild where they reported their return. The only thing strange they noticed was the lack of adventurers.
After that, they headed to the "Rabbit's Den" to once again get an inn. There, they have found an answer to their previous question. They now understood why there were so few adventurers in the guild.
"One more order here!"
"More booze!"
"I want another serving of boar stew!"
"Same here!"
When they entered the inn, it was real chaos. Orders from customers came flying everywhere and the receptionist, Helen, was troubled over how to serve them, even though Selia was already helping her out.
Grey and Yuna wanted to greet them, but with all the chaos happening and the busy atmosphere about the place, they had no opportunity to do so. They just decided to wait until the chaos died down.
It took longer than they had expected when the loud commotion died down. Only after a couple of hours did the merry adventurers go back to their own homes. It was almost time for the Rabbit Den's to close.
"Haah... It's finally over..." ［Helen］
"What are you saying, Helen? There's still some customers there." ［Selia］
It must have been because they were so tired, but they didn't immediately realize Grey and Yuna's identities. As Selia pointed to them, Helen sluggishly approached the two of them.
"May I get your orderー Hmm?" ［Helen］
It was only after a few seconds for awkward staring that Helen was able to identify the two figures in front of her. She was so surprised that she dropped the pencil and paper she was holding onto.
"Uuu... Yuna～! Grey～! You're baaacckkkk!! Uuuu... You're back..." ［Helen］
When she finally realized who they were, Helen immediately came rushing towards them and gave them a tight embrace, all while crying like a little child. At that moment, she looked even more childish than Eliza.
"Helen, what's with all the ruckusー Hm... Ohhh, Grey, Yuna, you're back! How was your trip?" ［Gerd］
"It was a very good experience... But first, can you first help us get out of this predicament...?" ［Grey］
"Ah..." ［Gerd］
Following Grey's eyes, Gerd saw his dear daughter clinging to them tightly with tears all over her face. He then walked towards them and slowly detached from them the sobbing mess that was Helen.
Even after they had separated Helen from them, it still took a couple of minutes to calm her down and stop her from crying. Thankfully, she was much easier to handle than Eliza.
"Sorry about that, Grey, Yuna... It must have been unpleasant being welcomed like that. Hey, Helen, apologize as well!" ［Gerd］
"Sorry..." ［Helen］
Helen slightly bowed her head to give her apologies to Grey and Yuna. Now that she was sober, she was completely different than before. Her face was even slightly red, embarrassed about herself crying a little while ago.
"We don't really mind. Rather, we're actually happy that Helen missed us." ［Grey］
"Un. It's been so long. We're really happy to see you again, Helen," ［Yuna］
"Hehe, I feel the same. I'm also happy to see the both of you again." ［Helen］
"Oh my!" ［Selia］
Just as the three of them were exchanging their words to one another, Selia suddenly appeared from the kitchen. She was very much surprised to see the two familiar youngsters whom they often had dinner with.
She gently placed down the dishes she was carrying and headed over to the table where they were talking. With her present, the members of the "Rabbit's Den" have been completed..
"Welcome back, Yuna, Grey... How long have you been here?" ［Selia］
"Ah, actually... we arrived here a couple of hours ago, but the inn was so busy so we just waited it out before greeting you." ［Grey］
"Un... The atmosphere was so chaotic back then." ［Yuna］
"Eh?! You've been here for a couple of hours already?! You should have just called us out even if we were busー Oww oww oww oww!" ［Helen］
Helen declared with a voice full of enthusiasm as she instinctively slammed her hands on the table. Of course, she was immediately scolded by Selia afterwards as it was not something she should say.
Little tears started to form in Helen's eyes once again, but this time, it wasn't because of happiness, it was because her mother pinched her ears as she scolded her. It was painful enough for her to cry a little bit.
"Geez, this child, seriously... But Grey, Yuna, we're really sorry we didn't notice you two. There were just too many customers." ［Selia］
"Ah, it's alright. You were very busy after all." ［Grey］
"Un... And there were really a lot of people..." ［Yuna］
"That's because many adventurers just got back from the Labyrinth of Death. As a celebration, they've been treating themselves with booze and light snacks. Days like these should still continue for a whole week." ［Gerd］
Gerd stated and heaved a lengthy sigh afterwards. While he was happy that they could earn more that way, there were just too many things to do. They are barely even having a break.
Not only him, Selia and Helen were in full agreement to his words as shown with them lightly nodding their heads. Traces of exhaustion were present in their faces and body. To add more to that, they still have a few chores to do.
To make things worse, the batch of adventures today were just from those who went home early. As the days pass, more and more adventurers will be dining in, inevitably making the "Rabbit's Den" busier.
"This should help a little... "Recuperate"." ［Grey］
Just like how he helped out Althea before, Grey casted holy magic to the three before him. As they were basked in gentle and warm light, the fatigue they had accumulated all day had started to fade away until there was none left.
"Oooh! I feel much better now!" ［Gerd］
"Oh my! Even my back pains are gone!" ［Selia］
"Waah～! Thank you so much, Grey!" ［Helen］
The three of them immediately became much more energetic as they received Grey's help. They checked their bodies for any discomfort left unnoticed but they found none. Grey's spell worked like a miracle.
"Just make sure to not overwork yourselves, alright. Rest is still the best remedy, after all." ［Grey］
"Hahaha, sure, sure!... Oh, right, will the two of you be checking in on our inn once again?" ［Gerd］
"Ah, yes, we've got nowhere else to go after all." ［Grey］
"We'll be in your care once again." ［Yuna］
It was not even worth questioning. The both of them already think of the "Rabbit's Den" as their second home. There might not be a hot bath like the Landevar Mansion, but it was still home nonetheless.
"You heard that right, Helen? Now, why don't you get the register and list down Yuna and Grey's check in." ［Selia］
"O-Of course!" ［Helen］
Hearing that Grey and Yuna will be checking in, Helen immediately perked up and energetically headed to the reception desk. She was nothing like the sobbing mess she was before.
A few moments later, Helen returned to the table with the register and a simple magic calculator in her hands, ready to tabulate our check in. She was now in work mode and ready to take receptions.
"Will you be having two single rooms with breakfast like before?" ［Helen］
"Ah, no, we'll be having a large room this time." ［Grey］
"A large room, it isー Eh? A large room...?" ［Helen］
Helen's hands stopped right at that moment. At first, she thought she was just hearing things, but the moment she saw Yuna's slightly flustered face, she learnt that she was, in fact, not just hearing things.
Anyone with at least a single brain cell would easily be able to tell the implication of Grey's words and Yuna's expression. There was only one sensible answer and because of it, the romance switch inside of Helen switched.
"Don't tell me... Are Grey and Yuna already a couple...?" ［Helen］
"... Un... I became Grey's girlfriend about a month ago..." ［Yuna］
"Waah～." ［Helen］
Helen was so speechless at Yuna's very adorable answer that all she could do was open her mouth in amazement. She was even fanning herself to try and calm herself down but she only got more excited.
"Alright, let's celebrate this! We'll cook a feast tonight!" ［Helen］
As boisterous as one can be, Helen declared such a statement even without consulting her parents. Though from their reactions, neither Gerd nor Selia was actually against it.
"Looks like I'll be using the kitchen once again! I'll make sure to let you have a taste of a new dish I just made!" ［Gerd］
"We should probably hurry up and close the diner then." ［Selia］
With Gerd and Selia's support, a wonderful little feast was served for dinner, cooked by Gerd and Grey as they did another friendly cook-off as promised. It was just as eventful as the last time.
Yuna also helped out Selia and Helen in closing the inn and preparing the dining table while the two men went off to their own worlds. Even when they were full grown men, Grey and Gerd looked like two children enjoying themselves.
After all things said and done, the five of them had a hearty meal like how they used to. During that time, Grey and Yuna were asked a lot of questions about their time on Moterno which they answered happily.
While the place was different, be it in the grandiose Landevar mansion's dining hall or the simple diner in the "Rabbit's Den" or inside a Labyrinth, a meal it best enjoyed with people you care about. It was yet another fulfilling day.
CHAPTER 66 END