Streams of cold, crystal-clear water cascading down the forest, shining like silver as the gentle sunlight strikes its surface. The stream of silver flowed freely, undisturbed by rocks and logs which had fallen whilst the sound of gushes and splashes echoed about in the air.
Along the riverbank, two beautiful figures walked silently, only their footsteps to be heard. They were Yuna and Amelia, two peerless beauties who looked like fairies of the forest with the flower-filled background behind them.
They have walked for a couple minutes already yet they have not arrived at the part of the riverbank Amelia had previously mentioned. Yuna already had her suspicions from the beginning, but now, she was certain.
"Amelia, we aren't going to pick shells, are we?" ［Yuna］
At Yuna's words, Amelia's footsteps stopped, and so did Yuna's. The red-haired lady then turned around, a worried smile on her face as she looked at Yuna. There was a certain reason why she walked in front. She did not want her friend to see her with such an expression on her face.
"I really can't hide it from you, huh, Yuna..." ［Amelia］
"Well, it was just strange that there's only shells in one part of the riverbank, plus you also refused inviting the boys. It's quite obvious, you know!" ［Yuna］
"Fufufu, I see... I'm obvious, huh..." ［Amelia］
The young lady laughed but there was still the same worried expression on her face. Yuna didn't press her further and asked her to sit under the shade of a tree nearby instead. It still hasn't started but it already felt like it's going to be a long talk.
"Yuna, please answer me honestly... Do you think I was being too harsh on His Highness?" ［Amelia］
Such a simple question, yet the answer was very hard to find. Ever since this morning, Amelia has been brooding over such a question yet she still has no answers. It was also the reason she has been avoiding Julius' eyes as much as possible, not wanting him to see her face.
The same also went for Yuna. After all, how "harsh" is defined is completely different from person to person. To some, it might have been a harsh punishment, but it might also be too lenient to others. It's just how the world works.
"Hmm... I don't think so. I'm sure you have your own reasons... Well, even if you didn't, I think it's normal for couples to ignore each other if they're mad at their partner or they're in a fight." ［Yuna］
"I see... It's normal, huh... But Yuna, what if the couple themselves aren't normal? Would it still not be harsh?" ［Amelia］
It was yet another deep question. After all, Julius and Amelia aren't just people of common standing. They are a prince and a duke's daughter, respectively. People whose worlds are completely different from the common folk.
They also weren't a couple who got together due to love. Before they were lovers, they were just children who were arranged in a political marriage. While it worked out fine for them, the same couldn't be said for others. One could say that they only became a couple by chance.
"You weren't truly mad with Julius, were you?" ［Yuna］
"No, not at all... I just figured it was a good chance to make him reflect on his actions. After all, he'll be the next head of the Redlocke household. I'm afraid he won't be able to take the responsibility with his current character." ［Amelia］
"Hm? But won't it be fine? After all, His Majesty is also more or less the same, but he's still able to manage his work... Umm... Somewhat properly... I'm sure it will be okay in the end, right...?" ［Yuna］
"That... I don't know..." ［Amelia］
Even with Yuna's reassurance, Amelia's expressions didn't bloom any brighter. There were traces of indescribable anxiety and fear in her heart. One which bloomed from the uncertainties of the future, one many people fear.
Her mother having a weak constitution, Amelia is the only child of the Redlocke Ducal Household. Fortunately enough, the Second Prince was also born in the same year as her. It was one of the main reasons they were engaged.
While it wasn't uncommon for a woman of the house to inherit the title, since Amelia was engaged to a prince, Julius would be the one to inherit it instead. It means that the responsibility of serving the kingdom and managing the Redlocke territory would befall on his shoulders.
Of course, Amelia would be doing her best to help him out, but in the end, he will bear the heaviest responsibility. With Julius' current personality, the young lady just couldn't help but worry whether her beloved would be able to handle it all.
It might be a farfetched logic, but using the current opportunity, Amelia was hoping to change Julius' mindset into a more thoughtful one. She doesn't want to change his personality completely, just improve his good points. Even then, she was worried if she had taken it too far.
"Yuna, do you think I'm a horrible person?" ［Amelia］
"Hmm, not at all. You're only doing it for Julius, after all. You wouldn't have done it if you didn't care about him. Also... You're worrying too much!" ［Yuna］
"Eh?" ［Amelia］
The worried expression was now gone. All that was left was a dumbfounded one as Amelia tried to process Yuna's sudden outburst. The latter raising her hand and voice suddenly really surprised her.
"I may not know much about politics, but I know that Lord Alfred could still go on for a decade or two with being Duke! Your father is still strong, so why are you worrying over such a thing?!" ［Yuna］
"I know that too, butー" ［Amelia］
"No buts! You're just worrying too much about the future! While it isn't necessarily a bad thing, don't focus on it too much! Or you'll lose sight of the present! We should enjoy things while they last!" ［Yuna］
Yuna's words became an eye-opener to Amelia. She was totally right. Amelia has been thinking too much about their future that she couldn't even spend the present with him. She lost sight of what was most important.
Every single word was on point. After all, Yuna was also speaking from experience. Since it's impossible to completely relive the past, one must enjoy the present and just live in the moment while it still lasts, something Yuna learnt the hard way three years ago.
"Also... You should trust Julius a bit more. He may be like that, but I'm sure he also has a lot on his plate. Just like they say, patience is a virtue." ［Yuna］
"Yuna..." ［Amelia］
"Well, if waiting doesn't work, you can always count on my special technique! Just hug him tightly and ask for a request honestly! It always works on Grey!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna..." ［Amelia］
Amelia's replies were just the same words, but the tone couldn't be any different. The first one was full of gratitude and admiration, while the second one was just plain empty. Amelia couldn't even laugh about it.
Yuna continued her tips and tricks all by herself, Amelia's find was finally cleared. She now knows what to do, a certain person appearing on her mind. Her heart now feels lighter than it has ever been.
"And then, youー" ［Yuna］
"Fufufufu! Thank you very much, Yuna. I feel much better now. I'm really glad I have a friend like you to rely on." ［Amelia］
"Un! No problem!" ［Yuna］
What started with empty, worried faces, ended with bright smiles as beautiful as the flowers blooming in the meadow. The two ladies continued their talk as they headed back to the waterfall lake, a clear objective in their hearts.
...
There was silence. The pool was still, calm as the vast blue sky which reigned atop everything. The only sounds to be heard were the splashing of the waterfall and the rustling on the leaves as they danced along the wind. Such a tranquil scenery.
But even with such tranquil scenery, there were evident traces of shock present on Grey's face. Well, who wouldn't be? After all, his friend just said something worrying before plunging himself towards the water.
"Haah... That bastard, really..." ［Grey］
After the shock, Grey's head started aching. If he were to see Julius again, he would surely hit him. No matter how much of a prank it was, joking about such a scary matter is not funny. He will surely have a talk with him. A talk with fist, that is!
But Grey's emotions started to stir after some time passed. It has been more than two minutes since Julius dove deep to the deep waterfall pool yet he hasn't gotten out yet. He was starting to worry whether Julius really meant what he said.
"Oi, Julius, this isn't funny anymore." ［Grey］
Said Grey, but there wasn't a single response. Now, his worries started to grow, but a part of him was still hesitant if ever it was just a prank. It was Julius, after all. No one knows what kinds of thoughts are running in his mind.
Even if Julius was an E-ranker, a being far more powerful than normal people, he could only surpass his human limits so much. At most, he could only hold his breath for a few minutes, and those few minutes have already passed.
Worry growing more and more in his heart, Grey utilized his eyes to see what's happening in the waterfall lake, his heart shaking erratically as soon as he did. He saw Julius not moving an inch, his body seemingly sinking deeper and deeper with the passing of time.
"Grey, Julius, we're back～!" ［Yuna］
And just as his worries were peaking, Yuna and Amelia have also returned from their little walk. Both have brighter expressions, seemingly to have resolved their troubles, the complete opposite of Grey's expression.
"Yuna, can you stand guard for a moment?!" ［Grey］
"S-Sure...? But... Where's Julius?" ［Yuna］
"That crazy bastard jumped into the pool a few minutes ago and still hasn't come back up! I'll just go save him for a bit! And take care of Amelia!" ［Grey］
A certain emotion quaked inside of Amelia's heart as Grey's shout echoed in the air. She had returned thinking of resolving things with Julius, but the first thing she heard was that Julius is drowning himself. That emotion was fear.
What followed after the shout was a splash, but not from Grey diving into the water. Rather, a certain figure has emerged from the water, grasping his breath. That figure was none other than Julius whom everyone was so worried about.
"Grey, listen! I found somethingー Urkk!!" ［Julius］
A loud bang echoed as two heads hit one another. A cacophony of splashes then followed soon after as their bodies fell to the water. Grey was just too focused at the moment, he didn't notice Julius coming back up.
"Agh! That hurts! What was that for?!" ［Julius］
"I should be asking that! I thought you were going to drown yourself!" ［Grey］
"Ha?! When did I say I was going to kill myself?!" ［Julius］
Suspicion turned to worry, worry turned to urgency, and urgency turned to anger as soon as Grey saw the bastard prince's face. Just like he promised himself, he hit the latter on the head as punishment for worrying them.
"Then why weren't you moving?! I thought you've actually drowned!" ［Grey］
"I just wanted to scareー I mean it's because I got a cramp!" ［Julius］
"Huh?! You just said you wanted to scare me, didn't you?!" ［Grey］
"N-No... It's just your imagination..." ［Julius］
"You motherf*cker...!" ［Grey］
Trembling in anger, Grey's fist rose out of water, his eyes burning a fierce red color as he clobbered the bastard before him, making splashes echo continuously. Even for a joke, it was going too far. He needed to serve a just and fair punishment.
But their fight wasn't the only one which caused such a splash. Although, much smaller, small drops hitting the ground by the riverside also did. They were teardrops trickling down from Amelia's crying face.
She was very afraid of the thought of losing Julius, and not to mention it was because of her own stubbornness. She was so relieved that tears just came out of her eyes uncontrollably like a broken dam, flowing endlessly without any signs of stopping.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?! I wonder what Yuna would say after seeing such an unruly side of you!" ［Julius］
"Ha! I could say the same for you, you bastard! And just so you know, Amelia's already here!!" ［Grey］
"So what if Ameliaー Eh? Amelia?" ［Julius］
At the mention of Amelia's name, Julius' head quickly turned towards the riverside, seeing two ladies standing there silently. One had an exhausted expression on her face, Yuna, while the other was crying in silence, Amelia.
Julius' face turned pale as a sheet of paper as soon as he saw Amelia's face. Not only his, Grey's also did. They both just realized how childish they were being when the ladies were watching them. And on top of that, one of them was crying.
"A-A-Amelia, a-are you alright?! Wh-Why are you cryー" ［Julius］
"You idiot...!" ［Amelia］
An unexpected and unladylike response. Everyone was extremely shocked when such a chain of words came out of Amelia's mouth. The very prim and proper Amelia saying such a crude statement, of course anyone would be shocked. It was just too out of character.
"I was... Hic... so worried...! You... Hic... You idiot! Dummy! Hic... Stupid!" ［Amelia］
A stream of insults came from Amelia's mouth flowing as vividly as the streak of tears flowing down her face. She beat Julius' chest with her delicate fists again and again but the prince did not fight back. He received all of Amelia's pent up emotions.
Such a scene continued and the tranquility of the place has returned to its former glory. Grey and Yuna only stayed on the sidelines, watching over the two and having their own time for themselves, Yuna leaning on Grey's shoulder.
"I... I'm sorry for showing you such an unsightly appearance, Y-Your Highness! I-I promise it won't happen again!" ［Amelia］
Now that her crying is over, Amelia's face has turned red from both embarrassment and crying too much. Just like before, she couldn't face Julius straight in the eyes, only that the reason was completely different.
Julius, on the other hand, he didn't really mind Amelia crying on his chest. Rather, she was quite happy since he felt much closer to her now. He never knew the feeling of being relied on by someone he loves would be so deep and joyful.
"No, it's alright... Amelia's still cute even when she's crying, so it's alright." ［Julius］
"C-Cute?!" ［Amelia］
And now, they were flirting. Amelia's face was getting red for a whole nother reason, her face feeling hot and feverish and her heart beating wildly. Even Grey and Yuna felt second-hand embarrassment with them flirting out in the open.
"Ahem! Julius, weren't you saying you found something earlier?" ［Grey］
"A-Ah, yeah!" ［Julius］
It was only when Grey faked a cough that the sweet atmosphere between the two was broken. He hates breaking the mood between them, but he has no choice. The situation wouldn't progress otherwise.
"So, what was it?" ［Grey］
"Actually, I don't know what exactly it is either... I just saw something dimly glowing in an underwater cave..." ［Julius］
"A dim glow...?" ［Grey］
"Agh! I think it's better to just show you!" ［Julius］
Question marks filling Grey's head, Julius suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the waters. They both dove deep below the blue pool, leaving the girls behind to manage for themselves.
Just like Julius had mentioned, there really was a dim glow near a small underwater cave. It was a glow so dim, it would be impossible to detect from the surface, one which could only be seen by observant eyes. Even Grey didn't see it since he was too focused on Julius before.
Thankfully, even though the cave was small, it was still spacious enough for Grey and Julius to pass through without much trouble. And as luck would have it, there was also an air pocket on the cave, allowing them to breathe comfortably.
"Hooh,.. That was quite the swim... wasn't... it..." ［Julius］
His voice decreasing in volume with each passing second, Julius became completely speechless as he took in the beauty. Not only Julius, Grey was also in a similar state, no, he was even more astounded than the former.
Beautiful blue crystals embedded on the cave walls, glowing ever so brightly as soon as Grey and Yuna rose from the water. They were crystals so pretty one would never forget their shine. It was a very mystical scene.
"Grey, isn't this..." ［Julius］
"Yeah, that's right... We hit a jackpot...!" ［Grey］
There weren't any words needed to be said. With his eyes, Grey knew full well what the place was. No, even without it, the crystals alone were already enough proof. They have come across a wonderful treasure which would be beneficial for everyone.
Confirming Julius' finds, the two of them then headed back to the surface where the girls were waiting. It only took less than a minute and they have once again tasted the fresh air from the surface, refreshing as one can be.
"Oh, Grey, you.. re... back.." ［Yuna］
"Ah! Your High... ness..." ［Amelia］
Both frozen and speechless, Yuna and Amelia were. They were too caught up with their emotions before that they hadn't really paid much attention to it, but their men were still half-naked, their top bodies exposed. Now that they were conscious of it, they couldn't help but turn red.
Their well-built and chiseled figures, extremely attractive faces, sharp-glowing eyes, and fair complexion, there wasn't much to nitpick. And topping it off with their wet look as they rose from the water, it was a deadly combination. Their hearts fluttered like crazy as they looked at their men.
Yuna has seen Grey fresh out of the bath many times, but for some reason, now, he looked more seductive in her eyes. It was even worse for Amelia who've only seen that side of Julius for the first time. She was barely holding on from fainting.
"Is something wrong, Amelia?" ［Julius］
"Yuna, too. You look feverish." ［Grey］
"A-Ah, n-no, nothing at all! Right, Amelia?" ［Yuna］
"Y-Yes! We're both fit as fiddles!" ［Amelia］
The men couldn't be any more puzzled with the girl's reactions who wouldn't look straight at them. They tried to think for a short while, deciding to give up soon as nothing really came to their minds.
"Right, Grey, Julius, how was it? Did you find anything?" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha! Not only did we find something, it was something great as well! I'm sure you'll both be surprised!" ［Julius］
"Something great...?" ［Amelia］
"Haha, I think it's better if you just see it for yourselves." ［Grey］
Borrowing Julius' words, Grey ended his statement with a bright, mysterious smile on his face. Julius also didn't explain any further, just wearing the same bright smile as he folded his shoulders. Now, it was the girls who were puzzled.
Enchanting their gears and equipment with water-repelling properties, the group then jumped towards the water, heading the same path Grey and Julius did previously and seeing a cave opening not too long after.
One after another, everyone rose from the water, Yuna and Amelia being the last ones. Not a single bit of their clothing nor their hair was yet. It was only to be expected from Grey's skills as a Tier-7 enchanter.
"Amazing... I really am completely dry..." ［Amelia］
"Fufufu, it's Grey after all!" ［Yuna］
Even when she was not the one praised, Yuna was the one who was the happiest. Having Grey praised made her proud as his girlfriend, even posing triumphantly, puffing her chest proudly as she declared such words.
"Amelia, Yuna, what do you think?" ［Julius］
"Hm? What do we think of whaー" ［Yuna］
Her words left unfinished, Yuna's eyes were filled with surprise as she followed Julius' voice. A familiar sight greeted her, one which she had seen countless times over back when she still lived in the forest and when she challenged the Labyrinth of Death with Grey.
Amelia was also the same. She might not have experienced the same experiences as Yuna did, there was no way she would mistake such beautiful crystals which she had seen countless times in books and paintings.
"Grey, this is...!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha, that's right... It's a dungeon!" ［Grey］
A loud declaration echoed in the sealed caves, the waves of lights glowing ever so brightly. A rush of excitement and amazement surging in the deepest depths of their hearts, their adventurer blood boiling inside of them! It was exhilarating!
CHAPTER 172 END