Rustle Rustle Rustle Crack
The leaves swayed and tumbled by the tune of the passing winds, birds perching and chirping stopped the tree branches, a sea of green spanning over kilometers as the forest prospered under the grace of the gentle sun.
Winds refreshing as one can be wafted throughout such a beautiful forest, two figures walking side by side, eyes glimmering brightly like sapphires and emeralds under the moonlit midnight sky. Of course, they were none other than Grey and Yuna.
"Grey, still no signs of it?" ［Yuna］
"No... Not yet... It seems it really lives up to its reputation." ［Grey］
"Mou... We've been searching for hours already..." ［Yuna］
Several days have passed since they arrived in the city, and now, they are yet on another quest. But not one from the Guild, rather, it was a quest Grey made on his own, searching for a certain flower blooming rarely in the forests across Erdea.
What might this flower be, one might ask? It's the "Scarletheart Chrysanthemum", a fire-attribute magic plant which is amongst the rarest in the world. Though it's very useful in alchemy, it is not the reason why Grey wanted to acquire it.
After all, according to the Legend of Nine Colors, the Scarletheart chrysanthemum represents "Passionate Love" which burns brightly and outshines even the stars. It was one of the items Grey wanted to get before proposing to Yuna. Though he totally let one thing slip his mind...
"Grey～! Let's just pick some herbs, okay? It's too hard to find...!" ［Yuna］
"Relax, don't be impatient now. I'm sure it's here somewhere..." ［Grey］
"Uuu... I would've gotten a lot of them already..." ［Yuna］
... That is, he totally forgot to stop Yuna from joining him on his quest. In the first place, it was supposed to be a surprise. He can't believe he dragged the very last person he should have with him. Habits were just too hard to get rid off. It was already far too late when he realized.
Thankfully, the young elf was completely oblivious to his plans. Even now, she is only grumbling about not being able to pick herbs along the way. She is acting spoiled again now that they're alone together.
Well, it's not like they were the only ones searching. As they walked through the forest, they also released the familiars to feed and also to help them. They are now scouring the whole forest with each step they take.
It was also very helpful that Grey's abilities have improved a lot since he reached Calamity-Class. Now, his "Heaven's Eye's range which was about a kilometer before has now increased about threefold. A great blessing.
"Oh? Yuna, you're bored, right?" ［Grey］
"No! Not at all! It's always fun with Grey! I'm not bored at all!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. I didn't mean that, you silly girl. I just saw some Lesser Cyclops a couple distances away. Wanna take them out?" ［Grey］
"Cyclops?! Really?! I'll do it!" ［Yuna］
There were no brakes in the young lady's excitement. As soon as she heard Grey's offer, her eyes quickly lit up and her lips curled into a smile. Grey could only chuckle at how adorable his girlfriend was.
And so, they walked towards their destination with great vigor. With their speed, it didn't even take them a couple minutes to close the 3-kilometer distance, and surely enough, cyclops were there, their loud growls echoing in the forest.
GRRRUULLLL KRRROOO GGRRRUUU
To be precise, there were three of them. Though they are called "Lesser Cyclops", they stood more than 2 meters in height with extremely muscular bodies. There was a singular, large eye in its head, shifting left and right to scout its surroundings,
They may be the lowest variant amongst the Cyclopes, but they were still E-rank monsters. Breaking hones with a single swing is not difficult for them. They are already quite powerful by normal standards. Though, in front of Yuna...
⟨⟨Ice Lance!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
GUURAAAAKKKKKK
... It was all meaningless. They were powerless all the same.
Before they could even react, an icicle of blue already appeared before them at great speeds, and without much effort, it pierced one of the lesser cyclopes' eyes, a loud screech full of pain and misery echoing in the air.
But Yuna didn't just stop there. As soon as she landed the first strike, she quickly zoomed towards them, closing the distance so that she could release a torrent of merciless slashes with her daggers.
GUUUURAAAAKKKKK
Another slash, another booming bellow. As blood dyed the forest grounds red, the flames of hatred started to light ablaze in the Cyclopes' eyes. Their attention was now focused on the young lady, snarling at her.
A Lesser Cyclops tried to grab her with its large hands, but before it could even reach her, she suddenly landed yet another strike on the wrist, letting more blood spill as she kicked up a cloud of dust in her wake.
⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The curtain of dust was cleared and a volley of icicles greeted the Lesser Cyclops, piercing its eyes, chest, limbs, and many more. A loud thud soon echoed throughout the air as it fell helplessly, flames of life flickering then disappearing.
'Phew... That was much easier than I thought...' ［Yuna］
Thought the young as she watched one of the Lesser Cyclopes' bodies disintegrate back into mana. She had already toned down her strength to match theirs, but she was still overpowering them. It was a little disappointing to be frank.
"Yuna, the battle's not over yet." ［Grey］
"I know!" ［Yuna］
As soon as Yuna finished her words, a large fist came hurling towards her, coming from the Lesser Cyclops which just received a volley of slashes to Yuna. As for the blinded one, it was now swinging its arms aimlessly.
CRACK CRUSH RUMBLE
Unfortunately for them, Yuna's reflexes were simply too fast for their sake. Before the Lesser Cyclops could even launch an attack, she already dodged it, making it hit the ever so solid ground, and a crater was formed.
Of course, what followed was the after attack. With the Lesser Cyclops's injuries, it couldn't even follow Yuna's movements. Before it even noticed, Yuna had already appeared behind its back like a phantom appearing out of thin air.
⟨⟨Swift Guillotine!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
With a swift slash of her blades, the enemy was quickly decapitated, heading flying off to the air as a fountain of blood spilled all over the place. Its large body soon fell towards the ground, a heavy thud resounding in the air. Now, only one remained.
⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Though not for long. With a simple wave of her hand, an array of icicles appeared out of thin air, soon darting as quick as lightning as they lunged towards the last enemy. A pained shriek echoed as it was put out of its misery.
Soon, the forest was back to normal, not a single monster to be seen. Their bodies have already vanished into thin air, only leaving behind their drops as proof of their short-lived existence. There weren't many, but it was more than enough.
"Loot～! Drops～! Crystals～!" ［Yuna］
Now, the young elf is singing merrily, happily collecting the drops with a bright smile on her face. She may look cute, but she was still a hoarder, after all. Any loot is more than enough to make her happy, returning with such radiance.
"Grey, are there still some monsters near here?" ［Yuna］
"There are, but... They're mostly goblins and such. They're all low ranks." ［Grey］
"Aww... That's a shame..." ［Yuna］
And as it seems, it looks like Yuna still wanted to fight more and let loose some steam and also train a little while she's at it. Unfortunately, even the strongest ones were only at G-rank. The cyclopes were an exception.
"Then, shall we continue, Milady?" ［Grey］
"Un! Please lead the way, Sir Grey," ［Yuna］
"Of course. It would be my greatest pleasure." ［Grey］
A little bit of playfulness in the air, Grey and Yuna soon continued their journey and they walked several thousand steps once again, passing down the large roots and crossing large rivers as they listened to the symphony of the forest.
Yet no matter how much they searched, they still couldn't find the flower they were looking for. Even with the help of the familiars, they could only do so much. It has been hours already, and the sun is already in its zenith.
"Grey, there's a creek nearby. Why don't we take a break for a while?" ［Yuna］
"Alright, sounds good to me. It's just about time for lunch anyway." ［Grey］
"Yaay～! Lunch break!" ［Yuna］
There was no need to rush. With noon upon them, Grey and Yuna decided to have lunch before continuing on. Though before that, they first headed to the creek and rested themselves, fixing themselves while they're at it.
And as they have been walking for hours already, it was natural that they were a little sweaty. Yuna quickly got herself a handkerchief and wiped her sweat away, happily humming to herself as she enjoyed the fresh breeze.
"Grey, favor～." ［Yuna］
"Hm? What is it?" ［Grey］
"Can you please wipe my back? I can't reach it." ［Yuna］
Though there's only so much she could do alone. Without any hint of hesitation, she undressed her top attire, only covering her front with it. A beautiful pearl-like back was exposed, a rosy tint painted on the young lady's cheeks.
Grey had always done such when they were alone, so Yuna did it without much thinking. The only problem was that now wasn't the right time for it. Especially when Grey is still battling his desires boiling inside of him.
'Well, we're alone, so it should be alー' ［Grey］
He didn't even dare finish his thoughts. Though he was right, they were still in the middle of a forest. If he were to succumb to his desires, it would be no different from admitting that he's a beast. A starved one at that.
"Yuna, do it yourself. You can just use magic to dry yourself." ［Grey］
"Ehh...? But I want you to do it..." ［Yuna］
"N... No, and that's final. And didn't you say you don't want me to treat you like a child anymore? You're already a reliable adult, aren't you?" ［Grey］
"Uuu... Okay..." ［Yuna］
With her puppy eyes and dejected voice, a volley of arrows filled to the brim with guilt hit Grey's heart one after another. Especially when his beloved looked like a scolded puppy, ears drooping down sadly. It hurts like hell.
Even then, he had no other choices. If he were to succumb to his desires, God knows what he'll do to Yuna. With his mind troubled as it is, he needs to hold himself back as much as he can, even if it means making Yuna a little sad.
"Yuna... Looking at me at that won't work, you know?" ［Grey］
"I didn't even say anything yet..." ［Yuna］
And now, his girlfriend is pouting and sulking like a defeated child. She quickly dried herself with the use of magic and dressed back like before. She was still a little bit crestfallen, but there was no need to worry too much.
The very moment Grey served their lunch, her mood quickly improved by leaps and bounds, and a bright smile soon bloomed on her face. She ate merrily with such delight you wouldn't even think she was sad for a moment. Such a relief.
Time passed some more and the sun finally started to descend. After resting for some time, Grey and Yuna finally resumed their search, looking far and wide for any conspicuous red flower which is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
Rustle Rustle Rustle
But rather than a flower, what they found were a familiar series of sounds, and with the use of Grey's eyes, he quickly found out what was causing such a sound. He was a little surprised, mouth a little bit open.
"Grey, is something wrong?" ［Yuna］
"No, umm... I just found a couple deers stuck under a tree root." ［Grey］
"Deers...?" ［Yuna］
There wasn't just one, there were three of them. The mother deer was stuck under a root while its two fawns were worried over it. If such goes on, they would surely fall prey to some hungry beasts. Easy food for the picking.
It wasn't an absurd situation, but remembering the excuse Yuna told Galvin and Elnart back when they were traveling towards the Royal Capital, Grey couldn't help but feel a little bit amazed, chuckling to himself a little.
"Hahaha. Let's help out the deers, shall we?" ［Grey］
"Un! Let's go!" ［Yuna］
There was no time to waste. As soon as they decided on their course of action, Grey and Yuna quickly headed towards where the deers were. And surely, as soon as they arrived, the scene of a deer struggling quite a bit as its children cheered on it.
Deers would easily run at the slightest crunch of a leaf, so they would run away as soon as they heard the slightest noise. Thankfully, with Yuna's "Nihility", it was quite easy to sneak up on them, not one even a little cautious.
"Poor deer, it must feel so painful." ［Yuna］
"It twisted its legs, after all." ［Grey］
It was even worse than they had imagined. Due to the deer's constant struggle to be free, it hurt itself in the process, the legs full of bruises and slight wounds from blisters and all sorts of things.
However, there was no need to worry. It might have been destiny or it may simply be pure coincidence, but the deer just had the right people passing during the right time. It was as lucky as one can be.
Crack Crack Crush
With a flick of their fingers, the root of the tree was quickly moved with plant magic. They then used a little bit of healing magic, healing the mother deer's injuries. Soon, the deer was free, unstuck and not a single wound to be seen.
Its children quickly cuddled up to it, and before long, it started to run across the forest once again, cautiously looking left and right as it watched out for danger, only stopping to feed by the bushes, its fawns feeding on its milk.
"Fufufu! What an adorable family. I'm glad we helped them." ［Yuna］
"Yeah, you can say that again. Though we still haven't found theー" ［Grey］
Grey couldn't even finish his words, when in the corner of his eyes, a strange yet exciting sight greeted him. It may just be a coincidence, or maybe it was good karma, but a smile soon bloomed on his face.
"Yuna, I think we found it." ［Grey］
There was no mistaking it. As soon as he laid his eyes on it, he could only smile with happiness and excitement blooming in his heart. They have been searching for it for some time already, and to think helping a couple deers would be the one to help them, it was as if it was fate.
And surely enough, as soon as they arrived in the spot Grey saw, what greeted them was a scarlet radiance which bloomed brighter the closer they drew near it, small sparks flying here and there, drifting in the air.
There was just a single plant, but two flowers bloomed on it, growing side by side as its petals fluttered softly in the wind. It was quite the mystifying sight to behold, not even the amber sunsets could compare.
"Waah～! So pretty..." ［Yuna］
"Haha, you can say that again." ［Grey］
Even with the heat it produced, it was no doubt still one of the prettiest flowers in the world. Just seeing it made it worth all the effort they spent, smiles soon blooming across their faces as they observed such a beautiful bloom.
"Ah! Grey, this is no time to be in a daze! Let's quickly collect it!" ［Yuna］
"Alright, alright, no need to be in a hurry. No one's chasing us, you know?" ［Grey］
"I know, but I'm just so excited! Can we grow these in the 'Sanctuary'? I think these are really beautiful! It would be a waste to just pick them." ［Yuna］
"Hmm... It might be a little difficult, but I don't think it's impossible. Should we test that out? It wouldn't hurt to try." ［Grey］
"Un! Let's do that next time!" ［Yuna］
Talking about such a sudden topic, Grey and Yuna quickly collected their reward, and scooped up the soil along with the flower. It might be a bit troublesome to grow them in a different environment, but with magic, nothing was impossible.
And since it was not uprooted, it was still considered a living thing. Grey could not put it inside his "Inventory", and so, he simply replanted it in the "Sanctuary", replicating the environment it was previously growing in.
Yuna was especially excited as she watched the flowers continue blooming as if nothing happened. Nothing as beautiful like an adorable elf appreciating flowers and the like. It was a wonderful sight to behold.
"Phew... We're finally done... To think we took this long..." ［Grey］
"Fufufu! After all that searching, I feel like wanting to eat ice cream again." ［Yuna］
"Again? But we just had some yesterday?" ［Grey］
"Ehh～? What's wrong with that? Ice cream is delicious!" ［Yuna］
With their business done and dusted, Grey and Yuna quickly started heading back to Erdea, zooming through the forest as if it was no one's business. They also called the familiars back already, melding into their shadows to rest.
They could have just used "Gate", but Yuna wanted to collect some things here and there, so they decided to just run the distance instead. Everything was going fine and well, two figures laughing and chatting merrily as they went about, when...
"Right, Grey, I'm a little curious about something?" ［Yuna］
"Hm? What is it?" ［Grey］
"Well, umm... Why are we collecting this flower again?" ［Yuna］
It was the question Grey wanted to avoid the most. He was caught so off guard that he almost tripped and fell, barely holding himself up. Thankfully, he already prepared an answer for such a sudden question.
"Ah, that... Actually, Lord Gerald asked me yesterday. He said it's needed for the festival, but they still haven't found it. I have some free time so I thought I'd offer a little bit of help." ［Grey］
"I see... So that's how it is..." ［Yuna］
"Why? Is something wrong?" ［Grey］
"No, it's just... My Grey sure is kind. Hehehe." ［Yuna］
A critical hit, and a painful one at that. The very moment Yuna beamed such a bright smile, an arrow of guilt pierced his heart. He even used someone else's name to escape the situation. He was nowhere near kind at that moment,
It was then that he promised to himself to not bring Yuna along next time, all the while apologizing to the Mayor in his heart. He promised to treat him to an extra special dinner once they arrived back at the manor.
"Hm? Grey, is something on your mind?" ［Yuna］
"Nothing. I just thought about how adorable my girlfriend is." ［Grey］
"Fweeh?! Why so suddenly?!" ［Yuna］
"'Cause you really are cute." ［Grey］
"Mou～!! Stop teasing me already!" ［Yuna］
CHAPTER 273 END