Lamp posts void of brightness, sparse trees in the sidewalks, and people bustling as they go about their daily lives. The royal capital has gone lively once again with the arrival of a new day.
The weekend has finally arrived and people have become busier with more people going around on their day offs. It was a day of relaxation not only for the students but for temporary instructors like Grey and Yuna as well.
Yesterday, after their dinner with the Landevar family, Yuna and Grey went back to the Aldridge mansion. There, the first thing that greeted them was a pouting and sleepy Galvin, upset why they came back so late.
It was only at that time where Grey and Yuna realized how late the night really was when they had returned. It was about to turn 9 o'clock and the last bell of the day was about to ring. It was a time where many people had already gone to sleep.
As for the reason why Galvin was pouting, it was because the two of them always played with them everytime they returned, and since it was already late and was already time for bedtime, they didn't have the time to do so.
In order to compensate for not being able to play with them, and also to fulfill their promise with Eliza the day before to play with her again, today, Yuna and Grey went to the Landevar mansion along with Galvin and Elnart.
"Liz～!" ［Yuna］
"Ah, Elder Sister Yuna! Elder Brother Grey! You're here!" ［Eliza］
As Yuna's voice reached her ear, Eliza quickly searched for them with an excited and happy smile displayed on her bright face. She quickly ran up to them the moment she spotted them like an energetic puppy seeing their owner.
And for reasons unknown, the ever so energetic Galvin became shy, hiding himself behind Grey's back the moment he saw Eliza running towards them. It was the first time he had acted so after meeting Grey and Yuna for the first time.
Eliza was about to give Yuna a tight embrace like usual, when she suddenly stopped before she could even reach them. The reason was simple. It was because she saw Galvin and Elnart beside them.
"Hm? Who are these?" ［Eliza］
"Ah, these are Galvin and Elnart. Count Landevar's children, we brought them here to play with you. Galvin, Elnart, this is Liz, the one we talked about yesterday." ［Grey］
"Liz, be nice to them, okay?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, y-yes!" ［Eliza］
After that introduction, Eliza continued to eye the two curiously. She didn't complain that Grey and Yuna brought other children, but rather, only looked at them with eyes of pure and innocent curiosity.
"I'm Elnart Landevar, and this is my younger brother, Galvin, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eliza." ［Elnart］
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Big Sis Liz..." ［Galvin］
"Big Sis..." ［Eliza］
Having heard the words "Big Sis" being attached to her nickname, Eliza's eyes sparkled and a smile quickly bloomed on her face. It was her first time being referred to as such by other children.
"Un! Big Sis will take good care of you!" ［Eliza］
Eliza declared as she puffed her chest proudly, not being able to suppress her smile. She was enchanted by the idea of becoming the big sister to two children younger than her. Not to mention those children were also nobles.
Like how Grey and Yuna would usually treat Eliza, Eliza also patted Elnart and Galvin's heads as she said those words. She was getting carried away with the role of being the big sister, but Grey and Yuna just let her be as they watched her warmly.
Grey and Yuna were initially worried how Eliza would react to Elnart and Galvin, but seeing the children being so friendly with one another, they realized that all their worries were pointless. Yuna even started giggling ever so gently as she thought of how worried she was before.
"Come on, Liz, let's head to the garden and play." ［Yuna］
"U-Un!" ［Eliza］
With Galvin and Elnart following behind her, Eliza led everyone to the garden with a big smile on her face, extending from ear to ear. She was even holding Galvin's hands like how an older sister would to her younger brother.
"By the way, Liz, where's Elise?" ［Yuna］
"Elder Sister...? She's still asleep in my room with Elder Sister Elaine." ［Eliza］
"In your room? Moreover, with Elaine?" ［Yuna］
"Un. Every time I stay here at the capital, Elder Sister would always sleep in my room together with me, and since it was already late, Elder Sister Elaine decided to spend the night here and also ended up sleeping in my room." ［Eliza］
Eliza explained casually as they continued to walk towards the garden, being greeted by the beautiful sight and the sweet, calming scent of flowers blooming abundantly under the bright sun.
As for the people they were talking about, they were still sound asleep inside Eliza's bedroom, not flinching even a little when they were completely basked by the warm sunlight seeping through the window.
"But, it was a little strange." ［Eliza］
"Strange? What do you mean?" ［Yuna］
"Well, last time I remembered, Elder Sister and Elder Sister Elaine always wake up so early in the morning. It was rare to see them sleeping past this time. They seem very exhausted. I wonder what happened to them..." ［Eliza］
"U... Un... I'm also curious..." ［Yuna］
Yuna responded with a guilty smile on her face and her eyes swimming away from Eliza. She clearly knew she was the reason for Elise and Elaine's exhaustion, but she couldn't really say it upfront to Eliza.
Since Grey and Yuna became instructors, their students have underwent practical training they weren't used to for a whole week. And with it were the muscle pains and fatigue from over exhaustion.
The muscle pains and fatigue in their bodies have been healed up with recovery magic, but it was different for mental fatigue. It was something they could only get rid of with a long and well-deserved sleep.
After discussing this and that, Grey and company finally arrived at the garden. It was very spacious and full of magnificent flower beds and sculptures. There was even a large fountain in the middle.
In the Aldridge mansion, there was also a large and beautiful fountain in the garden. It was something only those of the same caliber as noble families and wealthy merchants could afford to have.
"Wah! A puppy!" ［Galvin］
In the large and spacious garden, there was one creature which lied down on the grass peacefully as it basked in the sunlight. It was Polaris who had been waiting for them, still in the form of a wolf pup.
"Hello, puppy, nice to meet you, I'm Galvin!" ［Galvin］
Greeting Polaris happily, Galvin squatted on the ground as he introduced himself with one of his hands carefully reaching out to Polaris. He clearly wanted to pet him but was a little afraid of doing so.
Woof! Woof!
In response to Galvin's introduction, Polaris barked happily as he stood up and hopped on Galvin like how an actual puppy would. His tail was even wagging and his tongue was sticking out as he was doing so.
Not long after, Elnart also cautiously approached Polaris, but with the help of Eliza calming him down, he also started to warm up to Polaris and the three of them then played and cuddled with the little puppy.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
"Waah～! There are more puppies!" ［Galvin］
Seeing how much the children enjoyed playing with Polaris, Grey also asked the other familiars to play with them. The moment they saw four more puppies, their happiness greatly increased.
It wasn't only the children who were happy, Polaris and the other familiars were also elated to see one another once again. While they weren't related by blood in any way, they already considered one another as siblings. After all, they were summoned on the same day and served the same masters.
"Let's play tag!" ［Eliza］
"Yeah!" ［Galvin］
As Eliza's energetic declaration reverberated throughout the verdant garden, she started running happily with Galvin and Elnart behind them. Chasing them were the familiars with their little legs.
They first only watched over them carefully, but after being invited by children, pleading innocently, Grey and Yuna also joined in on the game of tag, only "running" at speeds the children could match.
"Big Sis Liz, that's unfair! You're too fast!" ［Galvin］
"That's right Liz. You should tone down your speed." ［Yuna］
Although the game just recently started, Eliza already increased her speed to the point Galvin and Elnart couldn't catch her. It was speed only those F-rankers and above could maintain for a long time.
In other words, Eliza was cheating. Even if Galvin and Elnart worked together, there was no way they could ever catch Eliza. After all, even adults would have a hard time catching her.
"Ehh～ but it's just my jogging speed." ［Eliza］
"Then do you also want me to use my 'jogging speed' to tag you?" ［Yuna］
"Uuu... Alright..." ［Eliza］
Eliza tried to argue smartly with Yuna, but Yuna easily outsmarted her. And Even though Eliza responded with a crestfallen tone, the smile on her face didn't disappear as she continued to play tag.
The game of tag continued for more than twenty minutes, and although the children can still keep on going, Yuna and Grey decided to have a break so that they can wipe away the children's sweat.
While it was true that it is important for children to sweat every once in a while, sweating would be an understatement to describe the children's current situation. They were almost bathing in sweat.
"Fuah～ that was fun..." ［Eliza］
"Let's do it again, Big Sis Liz!" ［Galvin］
"Un!" ［Eliza］
"Now, now, hold your horses, you should rest for a while before playing again. It would be bad if you get dizzy because of the heat." ［Yuna］
"Eliza, Galvin, listen to your big sis. Look, even Elnart is resting. You two should follow his example." ［Grey］
Stopping the children in their tracks, Grey and Yuna reminded the two about heat strokes as Yuna continued to wipe away the sweat on Galvin's back. Rather than older siblings, the two looked like parents.
And thinking of heat strokes, Grey immediately thought of cold refreshments, an easy way to overcome such a problem. It was also something Grey loved drinking in his leisure times.
"Hm? Where are you going?" ［Yuna］
"To the kitchen, I'm going to make some refreshments for the kids, do you want me to make something in particular?" ［Grey］
"Hmm... I want a mango smoothie, but please don't make it too cold, I hate having brain freeze." ［Yuna］
"As you wish, Milady." ［Grey］
Like a polite servant, Grey bowed his head to Yuna, making the latter giggle. Well, Grey was also chuckling to himself because of an entirely different reason. It was because of what Yuna said to him.
Grey had been with Yuna for almost three years already yet he still couldn't get over the fact that Yuna hated drinks that are too cold. He found it ironic since Yuna's main attribute was ice, the very definition of cold.
Well, one couldn't really blame Yuna. The first time Grey served her ice-cold drinks, she drank too fast and ended up having a severe brain freeze afterwards. Tears even formed in the corner of her eyes because of it. Grey could still remember her cute expression that day.
"Come on, let's play again!" ［Eliza］
"Yeah!" ［Galvin］
"Ah, Galvin, don't be too rowdy!" ［Elnart］
After hearing the children continue with their game, Grey then excused himself to the kitchen to prepare drinks and smoothies. Since breakfast was already over, and lunch was still some hours away, the kitchen was empty. He had it all for himself.
"Hmm... What fruits should I use..." ［Grey］
While that question revolved around Grey's mind, he slowly retrieved a lot of fruits and other ingredients from his "Inventory", taking quite some time to decide which ones to use.
In the end, he settled on using oranges, grapes, and pineapples for the juices, and mangoes, strawberries, and fresh milk for the smoothies. All of which were still in their best and freshest conditions.
After retrieving the fruits, milk, sugar, and a few other ingredients, Grey then took out his trusty blender and powered it with mana crystals. He had so much fun making smoothies and juices that he didn't notice how much he made.
"Ahh... I went overboard again..." ［Grey］
By the moment he noticed, it was already too late. In front of him, there were a lot of servings of juices and smoothies. Just by a glance, one could easily tell that they can serve a group of 50 people.
But it didn't take long for Grey to get over his clumsy mistake. He just decided to not fret over it and store the excess ones in his "Inventory" if they couldn't finish it. They could just enjoy it later.
When Grey returned to the garden, there were more people there than when he left. The was the married couple, Eleanora and Fritz, their eldest daughter, Elise, and their niece, Elaine.
For some reasons unknown, the cousins, Elise and Elaine, were having their late breakfast in the garden while watching the children and Yuna play tag, still not tired even after Grey returned.
"Oh! Grey, where have you been?" ［Elise］
"I went to the kitchen to make some refreshments for Yuna and the children. Do you want some?" ［Grey］
"Yes, please～!" ［Elise］
"Me too!" ［Elaine］
"Alright, then you can pick whichever one you want." ［Grey］
With the two ladies' request, Grey brought out all the refreshments he made back at the kitchen, and retrieved some glasses. Thankfully, the garden table they were eating on was large enough to hold all the things he took out.
"S... So many..." ［Elise］
"Yeah, about that... I got carried away too much and went ahead and made use of the fruits I had in store." ［Grey］
"I... I see..." ［Elise］
"Hm? Grey, what are these?" ［Eleanora］
While her daughter was still dumbfounded by Grey's answer, Eleanora asked calmly while eyeing the servings of smoothies in front of her, and since there was a strawberry-flavored one, a rather rare fruit to see in Alfrione, it was quite eye-catching.
"Ah, those are smoothies. They're made from shaved ice, milk, and fruits. They're quite sweet and fruity so I think the kids will like it. Also, please drink it with this straw." ［Grey］
Grey said as he showed the metal straws that he made a long time ago so that he and Yuna could enjoy the smoothies. Since it was made of metal, it was nature friendly, not that he can make one out of plastic anyways.
The straws Grey gave out were also unused. After all, it would just be plain rude and unhygienic to give them one that's already used. Not to mention that nobles were going to use them.
"Can I have one as well?" ［Eleanora］
"Oh, sure. Take as much as you want. By the way, this here is mango, this one is fresh milk and that pink one is strawberry. As for the juices, there's orange, pineapple, and grape." ［Grey］
Grey briefly enumerated the flavors of the juices and smoothies in front of them, and the other's eyes followed him as he pointed them out. Well, actually, their eyes were mostly focused on the smoothies rather than the juices.
"Then I'll have the strawberry one." ［Eleanora］
"I'll be having milk." ［Fritz］
"For me, I want mango." ［Elise］
"I'll also have mango." ［Elaine］
One by one, hands reached out to the smoothies and one by one, the number of the smoothies on the garden table decreased. The juices were left untouched as all hands reached out to the smoothies.
With Eleanora leading them, the four took a sip with the improvised metal straw Grey made, and their reactions were...
"Wow, it's so delicious!" ［Elise］
"I can really taste the mango!" ［Elaine］
"Oh my, I've never had something like this." ［Eleanora］
"It's a little sweet, but it's good." ［Fritz］
The three ladies had about the same reaction when they first had pizza yesterday, the only difference was that they were talking smoothies this time, something fairly sweet as well.
As for Fritz, although he doesn't really fancy sweet things, he didn't hate it either, rather, it was one of those sweet refreshments he could enjoy. Especially since it was a novel experience.
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it." ［Grey］
"Grey, just a little curious... How did you make these?" ［Eleanora］
"Ah, it's pretty simple. I just put all the ingredients in a blender and blended them all nicely. It only takes less than a minute to make one." ［Grey］
"I see... But Grey, what's a blender?" ［Eleanora］
Grey's answer was responded with another question as Eleanora stared at him with curious eyes. After all, aside from him, Yuna, and Argas whom they have met before, none of them had seen a blender.
"Um... It's this thing." ［Grey］
In order to better explain things to everyone present, Grey brought out a blender and showed it to them. Their eyes immediately became glued to it, with them brimming with curiosity.
"I haven't seen anything like this..." ［Eleanora］
"You're right. I also haven't heard of a 'blender' circulating in the market. You're the one who made this, aren't you, Grey?" ［Fritz］
"You could say... Well, simply put, this device has blades inside it which rotates at high speeds in order to cut up the ingredients into small pieces and blend them with each other. In this case, we have shaved ice, fruits, and milk." ［Grey］
"That's... really informatiー" ［Fritz］
"Hey, that's unfair!" ［Eliza］
Fritz's words were cut off by Eliza as she ran towards the garden table. When the children noticed the others partaking in a cold serving of smoothies, they quickly ran towards them to get their share. Yuna also came back with them.
As for the familiars, they stayed in the garden and rested under the sun's rays. Well, that was how they looked like to others, but actually, they were communicating telepathically to catch up with one another.
"Elder Brother Grey, what is this?" ［Eliza］
"That's a smoothie. It's sweet and cold. I'm sure you'll love it." ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Eliza］
After that simple explanation of Grey's, Eliza and the other children went ahead and took a sip of their smoothies, and their reactions were just like the adult's, only more energetic and cheerful.
As for Yuna, she was eyeing which of the smoothies have the least amount of shaved ice in them as if her life depended on it. Grey couldn't help but chuckle once again at his girlfriend's cute actions.
"Don't worry, I made you a special one, just like you requested." ［Grey］
Grey said as he patted Yuna's head and took out a serving of smoothie from his "Inventory" and gave it to her. It was a smoothie which has more mangoes than ice. It was an odd one.
"Oh, thanks!" ［Yuna］
As soon as she took a sip from the smoothie, a large and sweet smile bloomed on her face and she continued drinking her smoothie. Even though she already has it many times before, she still gets just as happy every time.
"Ahh～ This sure takes away all those fatigue..." ［Elise］
"I know. All those days of training really tired me out..." ［Elaine］
"That was the most exhausted I had been since like... ever." ［Elise］
"Tell me about it..." ［Elaine］
"Ah, Elder Sister!" ［Eliza］
"Hm?" ［Elise］
Elise and Elaine were talking about how hard their training was as they continued to drink their smoothies, when suddenly, Eliza interrupted their talk, and the reason for that was...
"Elder Sister, I want to have a match with you!" ［Eliza］
CHAPTER 86 END