Chatter Clatter Bustle Rustle
The mornings in the capital were even livelier than those in Galderia. The sun had yet to rise and the people were already awake, preparing to start yet another day. And with the ring of the first bell, the day has officially started.
After their breakfast, Grey and Yuna left the Aldridge mansion to complete what they weren't able to do yesterday. The both of them are heading to the Adventurers' Guild to process the completion of their escort quest.
They have yet to see the royal capital's guild, thanks to Veronica's instructions, they were able to find it without much trouble. And just like they expected, the capital's guild was on another level than the one in Galderia.
Just by rough estimate alone, the capital's guild was already thrice the size of the one in Galderia. And as what one would expect from a massive building, when they went inside, they were greeted by a large number of adventurers, and along them, were the busy noises as the guild operated.
In order to accommodate the large number of adventurers, the guild building was built with three floors, with both the first and second floors solely made for the quests and quest items processing. The top floor is only for paperwork and secretarial works.
Luckily for Grey and Yuna, it wasn't the busy hour in the guild and they were able to get to the reception counters pretty easily. It was a massive help that there were many receptionists around, otherwise, it would have taken them much longer.
"Excuse me, we would like to process the completion of this quest." ［Grey］
"Of course." ［Receptionist］
Grey handed the letter to the receptionist, and after receiving it, she quickly took a look at it. The moment she had read its contents, her eyes opened widely in shock as she looked at the letter and the two back and forth.
It was a reaction that Yuna and Grey have seen countless times, but they can't say that they've gotten used to it. It was even more uncomfortable when the others around them became intrigued by the receptionist's reaction.
"P-Please wait a moment." ［Receptionist］
After politely bowing her head to Grey and Yuna, the receptionist quickly left and headed to the third floor where the Guildmaster's office was located. Her face was full of urgency as she held tightly to the letter.
A few moments later, the receptionist walked down the stairs with a man who seemed to be a high-ranking staff member. He looked like he was in his early twenties, but when Grey appraised him...
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[Salferine]
[Name] Velzier
[Race] Half Human, Half Elf
[Sex] Male
[Age] 49
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 1,110 [Mana Quality] C
[Combat Power] 1,334 [Threat Level] B
[Attribute] Fire [Magic Proficiency] High (52%)
[Class] Ravager [Weapon Proficiency] High (54%)
[Physical Enhancement] 57%
[Ability] 『Quick Burst (2☆)』
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... it couldn't have been any further from the truth. He was someone who could already be a grandfather with the way Merusia works. Someone who would catch the envy of many women.
It was also the first time Grey had seen a hybrid from two races. Though he wanted to attribute his young looks with his elf blood, he knew full well that it doesn't work like that in Merusia.
While elves do retain their youth longer than other races, it is only by a few years. The real reason for Velzier's looks was none other than being a high-ranker. Even if he reaches 70, he would still look the same.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Count Grey, Countess Yuna. My name is Velzier, this guild's Guildmaster. I apologize for the inconvenience."［Velzier］
"Ah, we don't mind. Actually, we're quite taken aback that the guildmaster himself is the one to welcome us personally."［Grey］
"Un. And to think that the Guildmaster is so young..."［Yuna］
"Haha, I get that a lot. But I'm actually turning 50 in a few months."［Velzier］
"Amazing..."［Yuna］
Even Yuna, who has elf blood, couldn't help but be amazed by Velzier's youthful looks. Just like Grey, it was also her first time seeing the youth-retention ability of the high-rankers. It was miraculous.
While he was entertaining Grey and Yuna, Velzier's hands moved as fast as lightning as he processed the quest's completion and calculated the points to be allocated in his mind. He was very efficient at multitasking.
"It's not really that amazing. What's amazing is the fact that the two of you reached B-rank at such a young age. Ah, please hand me your guild cards."［Velzier］
Just as Velzier asked for, Yuna and Grey handed their guild cards to him. The former worked on the processing quickly and just a few moments later, he returned it to them, signaling the completion of the process.
"Thank you."［Grey］
"You're welcoー"［Velzier］
"Ahh!!"［Vanessa］
Before Velzier could even complete his statement, he was cut off by a sudden exclamation. It was a voice Grey and Yuna were familiar with, and when we turned around, they confirmed to whom it belonged to.
"Yuna! Grey! You're here!"［Vanessa］
It was Vanessa, who, without a single warning, rushed towards Grey and Yuna and embraced them in a tight hug. It goes without saying that they were almost suffocated from her large bosoms.
Of course, Kurt was also present, but with the scene Vanessa created, he was not able to greet the two. He was left by the doorway, frozen by another one of his older sister's sudden actions.
"Aww～ I really missed the two of you～! When did you arrive?"［Vanessa］
Not even minding what was happening to Grey and Yuna, Vanessa just continued embracing them like there was no tomorrow. They were almost out of breath because of Vanessa's large assets.
"Elder Sister, I just want to remind you that we're still in public. And right now, you're really garnering a lot of attention."［Kurt］
Luckily, Kurt was there to rescue the two of them. After noticing that she had become the center of attention in the guild, Vanessa slowly let go of Grey and Yuna and corrected her posture.
"Good afternoon, Grey, Yuna. It's almost been three months since we've last seen each other. How have you been?"［Vanessa］
As if nothing happened, Vanessa greeted us in a more poise and formal way. Her character did a complete 180. If they hadn't met her before, Grey and Yuna would have believed that she was a proper lady.
Not wishing to involve themselves with the military, the moment the other adventurers heard Vanessa's words, they immediately turned their heads away from her and continued with whatever they were doing as if nothing happened.
Grey and Yuna wanted to retort to Vanessa's sudden change of attitude but neither of them wanted to ruin her reputation. All they could do was play along with her act.
"Good afternoon as well, Lady Vanessa. We have been more than fine, I'm glad you asked. Good to see you as well, Lord Kurt."［Grey］
"It has been so long since we've seen you, it's good to see you're in good health, Lady Vanessa, Lord Kurt."［Yuna］
"I feel the same as well."［Kurt］
For formality's (Vanessa's) sake, after their greetings, the four of them slightly bowed our heads to one another. Even when it was such a simple task, it was a little tiring to act so stiffly.
"So, what are the two of you doing here? Are you taking quests?"［Kurt］
"No, we're here to process the completion of an escorting quest. We haven't gotten a lot of points since the raid after all."［Grey］
"Un. We've almost been at the labyrinth all the time."［Yuna］
"I see... Lt. Commander Gustav did say he met you on Moterno."［Kurt］
"Speaking of which, the pizza you taught Gustav was really delectable. I would love it if you would cook one for us after some time."［Vanessa］
Taking the opportunity, Vanessa made a request to Grey for him to cook her some pizza. Although she sounded very formal, her request was something which doesn't match with such a form of speech.
Grey had wondered over it before and he's pondering over it once again. No matter how hard he tried to think, he just couldn't see Vanessa as someone who is within the top five officers in the military.
"I'll do just that when I have time."［Grey］
"Then, I'll be looking forward to it."［Vanessa］
"Ahem!"［Velzier］
While the four of them were having a friendly chat with each other, Velzier suddenly interrupted them by faking a cough, as if announcing to the four of them that he was still, in fact, present.
Velzier was planning to wait patiently until they were done, but seeing how friendly they were with one another, he realized that that would still take some time. He took it upon himself to interrupt them to ask what Vanessa and Kurt's purpose of visit was.
"Ah, sorry, Mister Velzier. We got too caught up with our conversation."［Grey］
"No, it's fine. By the way, Lady Vanessa, Lord Kurt, what are your business here in the guild?"［Velzier］
"Oh, right... Actually, we came here to make a request."［Vanessa］
As if she just remembered, Vanessa handed a letter to Velzier. The letter seemed normal at first glance, but if one looks closely, one can easily notice the Royal family's crest engraved on it.
Without asking any questions, Velzier received the letter from Vanessa and read it silently. Whilst he was in the middle of reading the letter, he suddenly glanced at Grey and Yuna then continued reading.
Grey didn't know the meaning behind Velzier's glances, but somehow, he couldn't help but feel nothing good will come of it. He could already feel deep inside his heart that it would be something troublesome again.
"I see... But isn't this quest pointless? I mean, the answer is already right beside the two of you."［Velzier］
Hearing Velzier's words, Vanessa and Kurt's eyes shifted from him to Grey and Yuna, making the two of who were subject to their gazes quite confused. Now, even Yuna was getting a bad premonition.
"Now that I think of it... they really do fit the bill, don't they? Actually, they should be more than enough to qualify for it."［Vanessa］
"I agree with you Elder Sister. With Yuna and Grey being the same age as them, we could also teach them to strive harder."［Kurt］
"Right. They should be able to crush their egos. Especially the ones coming from well off families."［Vanessa］
"Their parents also wouldn't be able with Grey and Yuna's status as it is. They're going to be perfect for the job."［Kurt］
Vanessa and Kurt continued their conversation nonchalantly even when the topic of said conversation were more than confused about it. There were now enough pieces of information for them to understand what was going on.
But the moment they heard "job", they could already guess that it was going to be another request. Although they have yet to confirm it, both Grey and Yuna felt that their bad premonition had become true.
Grey wanted to refuse whatever the two of them were going to offer, thinking about how troublesome it would be, but after remembering the royal family's crest on the letter, all his hope was crushed. It made him wonder why he and Yuna always get into circumstances they have no power to choose.
"So, are you still requesting this quest to be posted?"［Velzier］
"No, please discard it. And thank for your suggestion, Mister Vel."［Vanessa］
"It's my pleasure, Lady Vanessa. You two are always welcome if you ever need my help on something."［Velzier］
"Fufufu, then we'll be imposing on you when the time comes."［Vanessa］
Despite their conversation reaching its conclusion, Grey and Yuna were still not able to comprehend what they were talking about. All they could hope was that whatever it may be, it won't be too troublesome.
"Grey, Yuna, do you still have business with the guild?"［Vanessa］
"Nothing in particular."［Grey］
"Then, could you come with me and Kurt for a moment? We have someone we want the both of you to meet."［Vanessa］
"Huh?"［Grey］ "Eh?"［Yuna］
Their voices in unison, Grey and Yuna expressed their confusion to Vanessa's sudden request. And since it was Vanessa who asked for them, they already knew there was no escaping it.
With the royal family's crest being the inky clue, Grey could roughly guess who the person Veronica was talking about, and even if he was wrong, he was sure that it would still be someone influential.
"Umm... Big Sis Vanesー I mean, Lady Vanessa, can I ask who were are going to meet?"［Yuna］
"I can't tell you about it for now, but he's not a bad person so you don't need to worry about it."［Vanessa］
"Elder Sister, the way you're talkiー No, never mind that. Why don't we head to the castle first and discuss it there?"［Kurt］
"The castle...?"［Yuna］
Kurt's words had confirmed Grey's suspicion. It was already obvious that the one they were going to meet was Alfrione's very own king. The same person who will be awarding them the medal of honor in the awarding ceremony.
At the same time, Kurt's words had also frozen Yuna the moment she heard the word "castle". Though after some time, her shock had turned to excitement. She just decided to ignore the pressure of going to a castle and look at the bright side.
Their questions still left unanswered, Yuna and Grey were invited (forced) by Vanessa to the castle. It was something they didn't expect to do on their second day in the capital.
On the way there, Vanessa bombarded the two of them with questions one after another, and not being able to go against her, Yuna and Grey were forced to answer each of them truthfully.
"Eh～ So Grey and Yuna had become lovers already. Big Sis is very happy for the two of you! Congratulations!"［Vanessa］
"Congratulations, Grey, Yuna."［Kurt］
Vanessa was even able to dig out the fact that Yuna and Grey had become lovers. Thankfully, they were out in broad daylight. If they were alone with themselves, Vanessa would have gone overboard her congratulations.
"Thank you."［Grey］
"T-Thanks..."［Yuna］
But in exchange for Vanessa not going overboard, Yuna and Grey became very embarrassed being congratulated in public. With Vanessa's loud voice, they easily became a spectacle.
The four of them were so engaged with their talk that not one of them noticed that they were already near the castle. By the time they did, they were already in front of the gates.
""Welcome back, Lady Vanessa, Lord Kurt!""
And as one would expect from high-ranking nobles and military officers, the moment the gate guards noticed the two of them, they were immediately greeted with respect. To which, they responded with light nods.
"Is His Majesty busy right now?"［Vanessa］
"Yes, he's currently in a meeting with the Prime Minister and other nobles."
"I see... Then when they're done, please tell His Majesty that we have completed the task he had given to us. When we are given permission for an audience, come tell us. We'll be at the training grounds."［Vanessa］
"As you wish."
With a simple order from Vanessa, one of the gate guards quickly left after bowing in order to carry out his task. As for the other guards, they stood still by the gates, doing their job properly.
Seeing their actions, Grey was reminded of the Queen's guards at Buckingham Palace back on earth. The way they stood like statues and moving only minimally, it was something he had always wanted to see.
Grey had always wanted to explore the world in his past life, but didn't have the capability to do so. He also wanted to visit a real palace, but never in his wildest dreams did he think it would only be achieved after being reincarnated.
"Big Sis Vanessa, we're going to the training grounds?"［Yuna］
"Yeah! And I'll tell you why when you get there."［Vanessa］
Vanessa said with a bright smile on her face, but it wasn't just an ordinary smile. It was the smile of someone planning something on the back of their minds. Something the innocent Yuna didn't sense.
"Knights, line up"
When one of the knights noticed Vanessa and Kurt's approach, he quickly rallied up the knights under him in an orderly manner. Seeing him do that, the others followed suit as well and ordered their troops.
Just as all the knights were in line perfectly, Gustav along with two other officers came to the front, and with a loud voice, they commanded the knights to greet the two before them.
"""Salutations to Lt. General Filastra and Commander Helsberg!"""
Hearing the words of the three leading them, the knights swiftly raised their hands to the level of their eyes and saluted Vanessa and Kurt. There was not a single knight who missed the beat.
"At ease."［Vanessa］
"""At ease!"""
After Vanessa issued that command, the ones in the front relayed it to the knights behind them, making them relax a little bit and lose the tension in their shoulders. Nevertheless, they still remained in order.
'Amazing...'［Grey］
"Amazing..."［Yuna］
The word Grey thought of was said aloud by Yuna. It was both their first time seeing such a large number of knights execute the commands properly. They were so in sync, it was as if they were all just one being.
"Lt, Commander Gustav, aren't you forgetting to greet others?"［Vanessa］
"Hm?"［Gustav］
When Vanessa said those words, Gustav's eyes immediately started to look around the training for people who Vanessa was referring to, only stopping when he spotted Grey and Yuna.
"Oh, forgive my insolence! Knights! Greetings to Count Grey and Countess Yuna!" ［Gustav］
"""Greetings!!"""
Unlike Vanessa and Kurt whom the knights saluted to, when the knights greeted Grey and Yuna, it was via bowing their heads. Nevertheless, it was still a sign of showing great respect.
And of course, as the ones subjected to such treatment, both Yuna and Grey felt a bit uncomfortable with it. Especially when there was such a large number of people doing it, they were also knights nonetheless.
"Um... Please raise your heads."［Grey］
"As you wish... Knights, at ease!"［Gustav］
It was only when Gustav relayed Grey's words that the knights raised their heads. It was only when he saw their faces again that Grey recognized that they were the same knights he and Yuna had beaten up in Moterno.
"Listen up! Today, we will be stopping your training for a while. In exchange, you will be having a practice match with our two guests here!"［Vanessa］
Grey and Yuna's faces were frozen in confusion as they just heard something bizarre come out of Vanessa's mouth. Meanwhile, Kurt shook his head as he heaved quite the lengthy sigh.
At first, Grey and Yuna thought they were just hearing things, but after remembering it was Vanessa who said those words, it dawned upon them that what they heard was actually right.
"Grey, Yuna, are you ready?"［Vanessa］
"Wait, Big Sis Vanessa, please think of this more responsibly!"［Grey］
"Un! What if the knights get hurt?!"［Yuna］
"Hoho, don't worry about that. They're quite sturdy, you know? So, you're going to do it, right?"［Vanessa］
Vanessa asked with a smile on her face, but her eyes weren't smiling at all. Rather, they were oozing with danger. The moment Grey and Yuna saw those eyes, they knew that their fates were already sealed.
While the other knights felt confused and insulted by their conversation. The only ones whose reactions were different were the knights under Gustav who had experienced Grey and Yuna's might.
"You're doing it, right...?"［Vanessa］
Grey tried to ask Kurt for help, but his eyes were already saying "Do your best" before he could even voice out his words. Well, even if Kurt were to intervene, all his efforts would be futile as it was Vanessa they were up against.
In the end, the inevitable practice match between Yuna and Grey against about a thousand knights took place. Needless to say, cries and groans full of pain filled the battlefield as the knights were one-sidedly beaten up.
It was as one-sided as a fight between a professional wrestler against a baby. Grey and Yuna even needed to control their strength just so that they wouldn't hurt the knights too much.
"What is the meaning of this!?"［???］
Just as the knights had all fallen to the ground, a loud voice boomed throughout the training ground. The origin of which was a rough-looking man in his fifties. Along with him were two other men who imposed a similarly domineering aura.
CHAPTER 72 END