Time was ticking and the shadows were moving. Every second passing by, footsteps filled the silent air as two figures journeyed to their destination, only stopping when they saw objects which aroused their interest.
It was the next day and now marks the second day Grey and Yuna are in the Elven Kingdom of Ingrasia. Since Kris and Aria's wedding are still far off, the two thought they'll spend a little bit of time and enjoy the city for some time until their stay at the "Silver Sky Pavilion" ends.
The breakfast they served at the inn, much like their hot bath service, was very exceptional. Every dish available was filling and delicious. It was the reason why Grey and Yuna were in such good mood even though it was still morning.
Their current destination was Torvis' Adventurers' Guild. They have been to three guild branches before, but now, they felt just as excited as the first time when they only just registered. Both wanted to see what the guild was like in an Elven Kingdom.
"Yuna, let's go in." ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
As soon as Grey opened the doors, a familiar sight greeted him. Even though they were already in another kingdom, the format and layout of the building ceased to change. If there were any differences, it would be that there are more potted plants around and the walls were of a different color.
And as one would expect in an elven country, the guild was filled with a large number of elven adventurers. No matter where one looked, one would see a pair of pointy ears sticking out of their heads. It was quite a sight to see.
Of course, as if it was still early in the morning, the guild was quite busy. Swarms of adventurers were lining up the reception desks to process their quests while the others were crowding at the quest boards, looking at what was available.
'Hm... I wonder...' ［Grey］
Curiosity filling his head, Grey headed to the quest boards, Yuna following behind him. He wanted to see how different the offered quests would be and what kind of enemies were present.
After a quick peek, Grey and Yuna now have a full grasp of things. While the monster subjugation quests remained the same, the beast subjugation and material collection ones differed. It was because of the difference in fauna and flora between kingdoms that such a thing was available.
The more they read the quests, the more amazed they became. While he already knew of them from the knowledge God gave him, it was the first time Grey saw the names of some plants and animals being mentioned. Now, it really felt like they were in a different country.
Yuna was also the same. Her eyes were brimming with excitement as she turned her head left and right. As an elf, she was interested in what things she would see in a kingdom populated by her race.
"Oh! Shin, Elena! Fancy meetin' you here!" ［Roen］
Well, the excitement in their faces soon disappeared as a familiar voice rang behind them. Their excitement was not replaced with concern. After all, the owner of the voice was one hell of a lengthy talker.
Although Roen was in no way a bad person, the lengthy conversations he makes is quite tiresome. Grey and Yuna would love to avoid one at all cost. After all, they still have a long day ahead of them.
"Good morning, Mister Roen." ［Grey］
"Oi, what's with the stiffness? Like I said, just call me 'Roen'. You kiddos sure are quite the stubborn ones." ［Roen］
"Ah, sorry, my habit got the better of me." ［Grey］
"Haha, no worries, no worries!" ［Roen］
Just like yesterday, Roen was full of seemingly boundless energy and was laughing by himself every time he had the chance to. He really couldn't be any different to Grey's impression on elves.
"So, what brings the two of you here?" ［Roen］
"Ah, we'd like to take a simple quest. We thought it'd be nice to move around a little rather than just explore." ［Grey］
"Un. We're also curious about the kingdom so we're taking this as a chance to explore a little bit and see how beautiful Ingrasia is." ［Yuna］
"Oh, that does make sense..." ［Roen］
Now, Roen's attention was also fixed on the quest boards before him, swinging left and right and canning what kind of quests were available. His eyes only stopped when he saw a certain quest.
"Kiddos, you're F-rank, right? How about this one?" ［Roen］
Roen pointed to the certain quest which caught his eye. It was an orc subjugation quest located far south of Torvis. It wasn't in any way special, other than the fact that the date printed on it has already been a few weeks ago. It was an old quest.
"You see, this one's been gatherin' dust unlike the others. The village is just too far away that not many adventurers take it. If you can do me a favor and pick this one, I'll treat you to a meal some time." ［Roen］
There was only concern in Roen's face. The village he was talking about wasn't even his hometown nor was he in any way acquainted with it. He was simply worried about the villagers there. It was some sense of duty of wanting to protect his fellow elves.
Roen's words were something neither Grey and Yuna expected of him. While they have simply thought him of a boisterous and cheerful middle-aged man before, now, their opinions of him have improved greatly.
"Alright, we'll take it." ［Grey］
"Really, kiddos?! You ain't joking, ain't you?" ［Roen］
"Not at all. It may be a little far, but with a little bit of jogging, I'm sure we'll reach there one way or another." ［Grey］
"Un! I think it's a good way to move our bodies a bit!" ［Yuna］
What long distance many adventurers' have been dissuaded by, Grey and Yuna only considered a short jogging distance. Hearing their comments, Roen couldn't help but form a smile on his face.
"Hahaha, then I owe you this one timeー Oh! I completely forgot, I still have somethin' to do... Then, I guess I'll catch you later, kiddos." ［Roen］
"Un. Goodbye～!" ［Yuna］
"See you later, Roen." ［Grey］
Appearing without much notice, Roen also took off after a short while, acting really nonchalant. Grey and Yuna couldn't be any more thankful that they didn't have to put up with his long talks once again.
Their problem in choosing a quest has also been taken care of. Now that Roen had chosen one for them, there was no need to stay near the quest boards. Grey quickly pulled the quest form, removing it from where it has been for a few weeks already.
"Looks like we'll be taking this one, huh..." ［Grey］
"Fufufu, it was quite the strange turn of events." ［Yuna］
"Haha, you can say that again..." ［Grey］
Little smiles forming on their faces, Grey and Yuna headed to the reception desks to process the quest they had just selected. The process didn't take long at all, only a little more than a minute before they were done.
After taking the quest officially, Grey and Yuna then headed towards the southern gate of the city, passing by a lot of stalls on the way. Since that was the case, they also took their time and bought some things for them to enjoy.
Unlike their usual routine of taking the maximum amount of quests or just taking a single higher ranked quest, Grey and Yuna only took a single lower ranked one this time around.
The reason was simple, it was because they were using their alternate card. It would just be plain weird for F-rank adventurers to take upon a lot of same-ranked quests, after all. Well, that and the fact that they just wanted to enjoy their day. They wanted to take it as leisurely as possible.
It didn't take long before Grey and Yuna exited the southern gates. And like their usual tactic, rather than using the highway, they opted to look for a forest and used it as a cover so that they could unleash their speeds.
"Oh! Grey, stop a little bit!" ［Yuna］
"Hm?" ［Grey］
The journey has been smooth so far, when suddenly, Yuna asked Grey to slow down a little bit. Grey didn't know why Yuna stopped him, but knowing her, there was only one thing which came to mind.
"Look, Grey! Those are blueberries, aren't they?!" ［Yuna］
And Grey was right. The reason was none other than food. Yuna asked him to stop just because she saw an area full of blueberries on the corner of their eyes. And by their luck, they were all ready to be harvested as well.
Yuna's eyes shone brightly as she turned her head left and right. It was just like the days they escorted Elnart and Galvin. She was very excited to see what other fruits were available in the vicinity.
"Now, now, calm your horses, Yuna. We're here for a quest, remember?" ［Grey］
"I know... but Grey...! Blueberries...!" ［Yuna］
Grey tried to set Yuna back on the right track, but the only thing he received was a childish response accompanied by big, innocent puppy eyes. It was then that he knew he had lost already.
"Haah... Alright, but we'll only stay for an hour. After that, we'll leave whether you like it or not." ［Grey］
"Yaay～! Thank you, Grey! I love you!" ［Yuna］
Full of childish excitement, Yuna gave Grey a tight hug and a light kiss on the cheeks. After letting go of him, she then proceeded to the berry patch and harvested as much as she could whilst humming happily.
Grey followed soon after and helped her out. With the use of magic, harvesting the blueberries only took a few minutes. Since there was still time left, the two headed deeper into the forest to collect more fruits, as well as herbs.
While it was true that they were on a quest, normal F-rank adventurers would take several hours before reaching their destination. It was not a problem to waste some of their time in enjoyment. It was quite fun, actually.
Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, oranges, lychees, and a lot of fruits were gathered in the one hour Grey and Yuna foraged in the forest. And of course, it went without saying that Yuna was very satisfied with the results, especially when she also got a lot of herbs as a bonus.
After their little bonding time, Grey and Yuna continued heading south towards their destination. A couple more minutes of running, the edge of the forest was in sight and over the horizon, sat a village. They have almost reached their destination.
"Waah～! So many trees..." ［Yuna］
Commented Yuna as she focused her attention on the village before her. Even though it wasn't located in the forest, there were still a lot of trees around. The place didn't even look like a meadow or a plain anymore.
"You'll have to stop gawking now. We still have a quest to complete." ［Grey］
"Ah, right! Sorry..." ［Yuna］
Prompted by Grey, the two of them headed to the highway, pretending that they had been using it from the start. After all, it was still best to avoid suspicion. Especially since they were in a foreign country.
A few more minutes of walking and the village gate was in sight. It was guarded by a couple of elven soldiers, some holding spears and swords, while others held bows on their hands, with a quiver of arrows behind them.
"State your purpose of visit." ［Soldier］
"We're adventurers from Torvis, here to take an orc subjugation quest. Here are our guild cards." ［Grey］
"Oh, it's true! You really are adventurers! You should have said so sooner! Come, I'll guide you to the village chief!" ［Soldier］
The soldier's wariness quickly dissipated as soon as they saw the two's guild cards. They didn't even ask any further questions and just escorted them inside the village, heading straight to the chief's house.
As soon as they got there, they were welcomed warmly by the chief. Even though he was already an elderly man, his looks didn't pale in comparison to those twenty years younger than him. When it comes to beauty, you've really have to hand it to elves.
"Huhu, it's been some time since we've had some visitors. Thank you for accepting our quest. We would have been in trouble if things continued as they were." ［Chief］
"There's no need to thank us. Actually, if there's someone to thank it would be Roen, a soldier in Torvis." ［Grey］
"Un. He was the one who asked us to take the quest." ［Yuna］
"Huhuhu, then I'll have to extend my gratitude to him someday." ［Chief］
There were no lies in the Chief's words. He had almost started to lose hope that no one would pick up the quest. Thankfully, his prayers were answered. He couldn't be any more grateful.
"Then, about the quest..." ［Grey］
"Oh! How foolish of me! Sorry for taking your time... How about we start with what happened so far first?" ［Chief］
Event after event, the Chief explained the details of the quest. Apparently, everything started when a couple of villagers spotted a number of orcs near their vicinity. It was then that they immediately posted a request on the guild.
It has been a few weeks since then. While the village hasn't received any real harm yet, it would only be a matter of time before they do, as every day, the orcs are spotted wandering closer and closer to the village.
The orcs number around 15 to 20 individuals. So far, there were no higher variants spotted. Even if the village expends all its forces, it would still be hard to defend against it. They were truly thankful that Grey and Yuna arrived just on time.
"And they're currently residing southeast, did I get that right?" ［Grey］
"Yes, that is correct." ［Chief］
"Alright, then that's all the information we need. You can rest easy now, we'll take care of them." ［Grey］
"Huhuhu... Thank you... Truly, thank you..." ［Chief］
The Chief's face was full of relief as he saw off Grey and Yuna. It wasn't only him, the soldier who escorted them was also the same. They could finally be at peace now that help has arrived.
As for Grey and Yuna, the very moment they left the village, they headed straight to where the orcs were last spotted. It was just a couple hundred meters away, and when they spotted them, well... There really wasn't that much of a fight...
Buhhiikkkk
A loud scream echoed across the forest as the last orc was cut down. It soon fell to the ground with an audible thud before vanishing into thin air and only leaving behind a couple of drops.
Grey and Yuna didn't even have to use magic. Just their physical strength alone was enough to steamroll through them. All it took was a single strike to finish them off. If they were to be honest, it felt quite disappointing.
"That was easier than I thought..." ［Grey］
"That's right... I couldn't even warm up properly..." ［Yuna］
"Haha... Now, don't be too sad. How about we play a couple of games before heading back to the village?" ［Grey］
"Really?! Okay, let's do it!" ［Yuna］
Yuna's expressions quickly brightened up as soon as Grey invited her to a game. They both entered the "Sanctuary" not only because it was a safe space, but because it will hide them from unwanted attention.
Since they have introduced themselves as F-rank adventurers, it was only natural that they perform as quickly as them. Since that was the case, they have a lot of free time before returning since they finished too early.
As soon as they were inside the "Sanctuary", Grey took out a table and some seats, accompanied with a large parasol to shade them from the heat of the sun. It was the perfect outdoors set up.
The next thing which was taken out was the playing cards. They were once going to play old maid once again since Yuna suggested so. The reason was simple, she just wanted to win against Grey even once.
"Alright, Yuna, your turn." ［Grey］
"Un..." ［Yuna］
Prompted by Grey, Yuna picked a card as calmly as she could. Her facial expressions and body movements were much calmer than before, and so, she had been consistently able to almost defeat Grey.
Well the key word was "almost". It meant that she had never defeated him. While she manages to maintain her cool throughout the game, she couldn't help but smile when she was about to win, prompting her to lose over and over again.
The current situation was also the same. Now, there are only three cards left in the game, two in Yuna's hands and one in Grey's. It was Grey's turn once again and his pull could decide the outcome of the game.
Grey was about to pull the penalty card, but when his hands almost touched it, Yuna's lips arched a little and turned into a little smile. He then decided to change his pick and went quickly to the other one, fast as the wind.
"Alright, I won again." ［Grey］
"Nooo! Why does this always happen?!" ［Yuna］
"That's because you always smile whenever you're about to win. Seriously, how could my girlfriend be this cute?" ［Grey］
"Grey... You meanie..." ［Yuna］
Grey could only chuckle as he observed Yuna moping around with her cheeks puffed. It was already their third game since they entered the "Sanctuary" and she has yet to win. It was to the point that Grey had already lost count of his total wins already.
Well, even if he does enjoy seeing Yuna mope around and act cutely, he still wanted to cheer her up. Since they had just freshly harvested a lot of fruits, Grey thought he'll use them to create a sweet and cold dessert.
"Hm? Grey, what are you doing?" ［Yuna］
Asked Yuna the moment she saw Grey take out a lot of fruits from his "Inventory", cleaning them with a quick wash using water and wind magic. She could only tilt her head in curiosity.
"I'm making a parfait to cheer up my sweet and adorable girlfriend." ［Grey］
"A parfait...?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah. Please look forward to it." ［Grey］
Grey didn't give any further explanation and instead continued working on the parfait he was making. Yuna had no idea what food Grey was talking about, but knowing him, she couldn't help but feel excited as she looked forward to it.
First, Grey took a pair of tall glasses and placed them on top of the table. He then filled it with a small layer of cooled yogurt. After which, he sprinkled oats on top, followed by a layer of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and bananas.
The layering was repeated three times. On the last layer of banana, Grey topped the glasses with a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. The final topping was another mix of the berries drizzled with honey and chocolate syrup.
As a finisher, Grey placed two wafers on the side and chilled it once more. And then, voila, the parfait was finished. It would have been much better if Grey had a lot of fruit syrups, but he was satisfied with his work.
"Here you go, Milady." ［Grey］
The very moment Grey handed her the parfait, Yuna's eyes sparkled brightly. She had never seen such an exquisite and presentable way of making desserts. It went without saying that she was more than impressed.
"C-Can I really eat this? It seems like such a waste... It's so beautiful..." ［Yuna］
"Well, you can just let it be, but if you do, the ice cream will melt. Now, we don't want that, don't we?" ［Grey］
"Ugh..." ［Yuna］
Her emotions clashing with one another, Yuna hesitantly took her spoon and scooped a bit of the ice creams and berries on top. The very moment she took a bite, her mouth was flooded with a sweet and fruity goodness.
"Mnm! So sweet! And delicious!" ［Yuna］
Yuna's hesitation was no more. She gleefully enjoyed the parfait Grey made for her with a bright smile on her face. Just seeing her smile was enough for a smile to also bloom on Grey's face. He was satisfied.
Well, after Yuna cheered up, she once again went ahead and challenged Grey in another game of old maid. Through persistence and learning her mistakes, after several more tries, she finally won a single game. It was a joyous occasion.
CHAPTER 132 END