Chirp Chirp Chirp
The trees stood proud and mighty in the vast sea of green, leaves rustling as gust ran past them and the chirping of the birds sang along with it. Squirrels hopped on the branches and rabbits ran around the forest floor, life peaceful as one can be.
It wasn't just the viridescent forest. The rivers running through them were clean and beautiful, ripples, big and small, popping in and out from time to time. The waters sparkled like a treasure trove of diamonds as the sun slowly climbed down the horizon.
"Haah... There's nothing here either..." ［Grey］
And atop that very forest, a platinum figure soared with pride, leaving streaks of white as it bolted throughout the vast blue sky. A black-haired young man sat atop his back, eyes closed as he carefully listened about the whistling winds, soon sighing openly.
Of course, that figure was none other than Grey who has been searching day and night throughout the continent, relying on his abilities and on Polaris' terrifying speed to explore hundreds upon hundreds of kilometers over the past few days.
Even then, he just couldn't find the last item to complete the set of nine. Moreover, it was the one which he thinks holds the most meaning out of all of them. He had been searching far and wide, but he couldn't find even a single one.
"Master, aren't you going to rest? You haven't slept since yesterday," ［Polaris］
"Thanks for worrying, Polaris, but I'm really alright. Tomorrow's the big day. I can't have myself giving up now, can I?" ［Grey］
"But Master, you know how worried the Mistress will be if she hears about this. She would most likely throw another tantrum like before." ［Polaris］
"Yeah, you're probably right... We'll just have to not tell her then." ［Grey］
Polaris tried to warn Grey, but the latter was adamant on his decision, not wanting to back down even a single bit. He had already spent so much time searching for the items, it would only be foolish to start giving up now.
To top it all off, Grey had also almost finished the bouquet made out of the nine items which were in the legend. They were supposed to be given as they are, but he found it more sincere if he were to make it something a little more special. Now, only one more item and it would be complete.
Well, he's a Calamity-Class Ranker anyway. A day or two without rest is nothing much on his body. In fact, he could even go on for a couple weeks without food nor rest if he ever wanted to. Giving up is the last thing he'll do.
"Understood, Master. I will make sure the Mistress does not know of this. However, that is all that I can promise you." ［Polaris］
"No, that's more than enough. Thanks, Polaris." ［Grey］
And so, as the sun continued to sink down the horizon, Grey and Polaris continued to soar throughout the skies, covering massive areas and scanning them thoroughly with Grey's eyes, making sure not to miss a single thing.
Even then, the search was bitter. They have been flying since morning yet they have still yet to find a trace of what they were looking for. The sun is almost setting, and Grey is almost starting to lose hope, when out of nowhere...
"Wait! Polaris! Go down! Go down!" ［Grey］
A sharp glint gleamed at the corner of Grey's eyes. It was small and subtle, but it was unmistakably a similar glow to what they were looking for. His heart started to thump madly as he chased after such a trace of ambiguity.
Polaris immediately stooped at Grey's command, bolting like a lightning bolt as he descended down from the skies, and when he was low enough, Grey quickly jumped down from his back, using wind magic to land ever so softly.
A hurried expression on his face, he then headed towards the tiny glimmer he saw, the sound of water splashing as crossed the river mindlessly. He soon bent down to pick it up, however... There was not a trace of happiness on his face.
"How is it, Master?" ［Polaris］
"Haah... It's another dud..." ［Grey］
It was not the first time Grey and Polaris found such things, in fact, they have been finding them all over the place, meaninglessly making them excited only to crush their enthusiasm the very next moment.
They weren't useless rocks, in fact, they were still precious enough to cost thousands of kiels. Even then, they weren't the ones they were looking for. It was close, but not at all at the same time. How truly unfortunate it was.
Holding the opal in his hands, Grey could only store it away in bitterness. Strangely enough, he doesn't feel a very strong sense of sadness or disappointment like he previously thought he would, only heaving a lengthy sigh as he scratched his head.
"Haah... Just my luck... I guess that's it, huh..." ［Grey］
Said Grey calmly, looking at the amber sky above him and listening to the subtle splashes of the river. As he observed these little things he previously overlooked, a certain figure came to mind, making his heart aflutter.
"Polaris, I think this is enough for today. Let's go back now... I'm missing Yuna already. I want to see her again." ［Grey］
".... Understood, Master." ［Polaris］
The platinum dragon thought for a short while, but all he could do was bow his head in silence. As a familiar, it was his duty to serve his masters. Despite knowing Grey's feelings, he decided to back off, giving the latter some space to think.
Soon, the platinum dragon vanished from thin air, and melded back to the shadows. Meanwhile, Grey took a last look at the forest before opening up the gate. Only a few moments after, he soon closed it, passing to the other side.
Chatter Chatter Chatter
And contrary to the ever so peaceful forest, the moment he came back to Erdea, a lively atmosphere full of life and energy was what greeted him. People were having fun, enjoying the end of the day as much as they could.
The children ran around the place and the entertainers performed on the streets, a cacophony of cheers and applause following suit soon after. Such was the scenery that unfolded as Grey walked himself back to the mansion.
He was quickly let through the gates and the expansive gardens greeted him once again. They have been living in the manor for about a month already, but after all the quests he did, it felt like it was just yesterday. Time truly flies.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness. It seems like we have been bumping quite frequently as of late. Must have been fate." ［Gerald］
"Hahaha, you can say that again. And yeah, good afternoon, Lord Gerald," ［Grey］
Or so they say, but with them living in the same manor, it was practically natural that they bump into each other. Still, the Mayor's strange sense of humor was more than enough to lighten the mood and cheer Grey up a little bit.
"Hm? Why the long face, Your Highness?" ［Gerald］
"It's that obvious, huh... Well, it's not really a secret. It's just... I'm feeling a little bitter that I couldn't collect all nine of them. I'm still missing one." ［Grey］
"Oh? Would you mind telling me what it is, Your Highness? It may not be much, but maybe I could help you out a little." ［Gerald］
"Well, it's probably too late, but..." ［Grey］
Grey leaned in towards the Mayor's ears and whispered the item he was missing. The very moment the latter heard the words, his facial expressions quickly changed into a darker one. From then, Grey could already tell how unfortunate he was.
"I apologize, Your Highness, but I don't think I can help you out on this one. That one is just far too rare, and even if I did know who possessed them, they would be royalty or high nobility. I am truly sorry." ［Gerald］
"Hahaha, your concerns are more than enough, Lord Gerald." ［Grey］
Even the Mayor was helpless when it came to the item Grey was missing. It was just far too precious of a material hence the reason why it was also the one whose meaning was the heaviest of them all.
Well, Grey really isn't too hung up on the matter anymore. Though it was a shame that he couldn't complete the whole set of nine, seeing as to how he collected almost all of them, he was already more than satisfied.
"Do not worry, Your Highness, eight items is already more than plenty! Even I only got one of them and that is already considered fortunate. There is no need to be too hard on yourself about it." ［Gerald］
"Yeah, I guess you're right... It's just a shame though,.." ［Grey］
"Hahaha, if that is the case, would you like to join me for some refreshments then, Your Highness? It might help relieve some of your stress." ［Gerald］
"Thanks, but I'll have to decline this one. Right now, there's a certain someone I want to see first." ［Grey］
Grey needn't to say anything any further. Just his words were enough for the Mayor to understand just who that certain someone he was referring to, a gentle smile appearing on his face as he chuckled to himself.
"I see... Then, I would not be meddling any further, and oh, Your Highness, for tomorrow's events... I wish your the sincerest good luck," ［Gerald］
"Hahaha. Thanks, Lord Gerald." ［Grey］
The two exchanged words a little bit more, and before long, it was finally time to part ways. The Mayor headed back out towards the city whilst Grey headed toward the mansion they were staying at, excitement fluttering in his heart.
Grey immediately headed towards their room, and as soon as he arrived, he quickly looked around the place. Unfortunately, the one he was searching for was nowhere to be found. There was only an empty room full of silence.
"Haah... I guess she's not back yet..." ［Grey］
Of course, the one he was looking for was none other than his beloved, Yuna. But as it seems, it looks like she was still out and about the city, hanging out with the girls. It was unfortunate, but there was only so much he could do about it.
"Well, looks like I can still prepare for myself a little." ［Grey］
Thankfully, Grey was not too discouraged by it. In the first place, with how messy he looked, he would love to avoid Yuna for the moment and take some time to fix himself a little bit. Especially his clothing, it was covered in dust and pollen.
Thinking back at it again, he met the Mayor in such a state. It was good that the latter didn't mind his appearance, but it was definitely not the most polite thing to do. Now that he thought about it, it was actually a little bit embarrassing.
"Then, I guess that's our first order of business..." ［Grey］
There was no time to waste. As soon as Grey realized how messy he was, he quickly headed towards the hot bath and gave his body a good scrub, washing away all the filth and also resting his body at the same time.
For the past couple of days, Grey has been using a combination of magic to clean his body, but experiencing the hit bath once again, he once again realized how amazing a proper bath really was. They are the best, his fatigue slowly melting away.
As soon as bath time was over, he then got himself something sweet to eat, enjoying the taste he hasn't been able to enjoy for quite some time now. Of course, he also made some more for the others to enjoy, especially Yuna whom he loves dearly.
'Hmm... What should I talk about with Yuna once she gets back... Quests... No, that would be terrible... How about sweets, then I could bait her, right?' ［Grey］
Of course, as tomorrow was the big day, Grey also prepared himself some topics so that he could easily slip in an invitation towards Yuna. Just thinking about having a nice long chat with her was enough to make him go smiling like a fool.
『Polaris, how do you think Yuna would react to my proposal?』 ［Grey］
『Hmm... I'm quite unsure since I am not too familiar with these things, but... I think the Mistress would most like be in shock.』 ［Polaris］
『Hahaha, right? Though, I wish it goes well.』 ［Grey］
But perhaps what he was most excited about was how Yuna would react to his surprise proposal. He has been planning it for more than a month already, and now that the day was actually upon them, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Well, nor just nervousness but excitement and eagerness as well. There were all sorts of emotions swirling inside his heart time and time again. The longer he thought about it, the more intense they became. It was truly a spectacle to behold.
Just like that, time passed by quickly and the sun soon set over the horizon. The moon and stars are already reigning above the sky and dinner is about to start, but Yuna was still not back, only a lone man laying down the bed in the room.
'Hm... Did something happen...' ［Grey］
Grey couldn't calm down any longer and he quickly rose from the bed. Though he knew how strong Yuna is, as her partner and her boyfriend, she couldn't help but worry, scratching the top of his head as he went out of the room.
Just as he wandered about the mansion and headed towards the dining hall, he saw a familiar figure walking before him. She had smooth hair as pretty as gold and red eyes shimmering like rubies. It was none other than Iris!
"Iris, are you heading towards the dining hall too?" ［Grey］
"A-Ah, Elder Brother Grey, good evening. And yes, I'm heading there. Is... Is there a problem with that...?" ［Iris］
"No, not at all. Nothing wrong with that. I just didn't think you'd head there alone. I thought you'd drop by our room first like usual." ［Grey］
"Mou... Please stop treating me like a little child, Elder Brother Grey. I can also do things by myself, you know?" ［Iris］
"I know, I know. Our Iris is a reliable princess, after all," ［Grey］
Or so he says, but his hands begged to differ. As he said those words to Iris, his hands gently patted Iris on the head as if he was comforting a child. Thankfully, the princess didn't hate it and simply pouted a little.
"Right. I was just about to ask, have you seen Yuna around? It's already this late but she's still not back. Did she say not say anything before you separated?" ［Grey］
"Eh...? But I haven't seen Elder Sister Yuna all day though? Weren't you two together on a quest, Elder Brother Grey...?" ［Iris］
"No... But I was all alone though?" ［Grey］
There was only confusion in the air as two figures stared towards each other's eyes, speechless from what they've just learnt. They couldn't even laugh about it, Grey now furrowing his brows as he tried to make sense of the situation.
Since Violet and Iris are mostly together throughout the day, she couldn't have been with either of them. The Mayor and his wife were also busy, so it wasn't them either. And there was no way she would be with Garret's merry and mischievous gang. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
The only thing he could think of was that she went off adventuring on her own, but even that was highly unlikely. She was the type to rather indulge herself in alchemy rather than adventuring if given the chance. Grey knows her far too well.
"Is... something wrong, Elder Brother Grey...?" ［Iris］
"No, nothing, you don't have to worry yourself about it... Why do you head to the dining hall first, I'll follow along later once I've found Yuna." ［Grey］
"Then I want to help out as well." ［Iris］
"Hahaha. Thanks for worrying, Iris, but there's no need, and don't worry, I'm sure Yuna's just around somewhere, it won't take too long." ［Grey］
That was a lie, and a big one at that.
Even when Grey used his "Heaven's Eye", he could not find a single trace of Yuna anywhere near them, and it was most likely that she wasn't in Erdea either. Though, there was no need to tell Iris that and make her needlessly worried.
If anything, Grey was just worried what Yuna was up to. Though he trusts that she won't do anything reckless, he still couldn't calm himself down from worrying about her. He simply hopes she hasn't gotten herself in trouble.
"Well then, see you at the dining hall later...?" ［Grey］
"... Okay... I'll see you at the dining hall later then, Elder Brother Grey..." ［Iris］
Reluctant as she was, Iris has no other choice but to accept Grey's terms. She soon headed towards the Dining Hall by herself, leaving Grey behind by the main hall. Silence quickly swallowed the place as her figure faded away.
As for Grey, he quickly headed upstairs and back into their room. He now pondered by himself, thinking where Yuna could have been and what she could be up to, a little bit more nervous as the sands of time continued to trickle down the sandglass.
'No good, huh...' ［Grey］
Worry which was only worsened when even his telepathic calls weren't answered by Yuna. It wasn't that she didn't receive it, but more like she was ignoring it. It was the first time such a thing had happened so it was quite a shock.
Now, Grey at least knew that Yuna was in no sort of danger. A sense of relief flooded his heart, but at the same time, there was also dread. The very fact that Yuna didn't want to answer him made his heart ache, a stinging pain gnawing on it. Yuna was obviously ignoring him.
He was still unsure about it, but he could feel that he did something to elicit such a reaction from her. However, he still did not know what he did wrong nor how many times he did it. He was a little disappointed in himself.
'Right... There's that, isn't there?' ［Grey］
Fortunately enough, his wits have yet to leave him. With no other choices left, Grey quickly activated his "Eyes of Destiny" to see the "past" which had unfolded in the room, watching the things unfold as if he was watching a video on reverse.
Soon, he finally saw Yuna, her figure clearly reflected in his eyes. But rather than feel happiness, what Grey felt was even more shock and regret as he watched the scene unfold, unable to utter a single word.
The Yuna he saw was not the one he knew, not a trace of her always bright smile blooming on her face. If anything, there were only tears trickling down on her face as she held onto a single item, holding it dear as if she was afraid of losing it.
That item was a platinum necklace with an emerald green gemstone embedded on it. It was none other than the very first gift Grey made for Yuna when they just started going out. The other pair was still in his possession.
"Hic... Grey... Hic..." ［Yuna］
She cried and held the necklace, repeating a single name every time she opened her mouth. Grey didn't know how long she had been crying for, but with how red her eyes were, he could only imagine.
He has been so caught up with his own problems and conflicting emotions that he had completely forgotten to consider what Yuna felt. He was her boyfriend yet he had been neglecting her despite knowing how easily Yuna gets lonely.
Seeing her cry and call out his name again and again, Grey could only clench his fist and grit his teeth in anger and disappointment. Disappointment on himself for being such a pathetic and sorry excuse of a boyfriend. Forget proposing, he couldn't even take care of her.
He needn't need to see anymore and ended scouring throughout the past. He sat himself down on the bed, soon heaving a lengthy sigh as he looked out into the distance, thinking where it all went wrong.
『Polaris, I'm pathetic, aren't I?』 ［Grey］
Grey asked but there was not a single answer to be heard. Polaris doesn't want Grey to depreciate himself, but with how things are, it was a bit of a wake up call and he needed to pull himself back together again.
BAANNNGGGGG
Suddenly, Grey punched himself to the face, a loud boom echoing throughout the room as it connected perfectly. And no, he hasn't gone crazy, not just yet. Rather, there was a sharp glow in his eyes after receiving such a punch.
"This is no time to be sulking. I should go find Yuna first. This is all my fault anyway, it's only right that I fix this myself." ［Grey］
A single punch and his thoughts were set straight. Though it left a bruise behind, it was nothing much compared to how irresponsible he was being. If anything, it was a light and simple punishment. Nothing to fret about,
『Polaris, let's go get Yuna.』 ［Grey］
『Understood. Then, I shall be guidingー』 ［Polaris］
『There's no need. Considering I can't summon Sirius, I think I know where she is already... I'm her boyfriend, after all.』 ［Grey］
Said Grey, his tone oozing with confidence, but deep inside, his heart pounded madly with anxiety and nervousness. Even then, he didn't let it stop him and he immediately opened a gate with a wave of his hand, stepping in soon after.
They were still some ways away from being a perfect couple, but seeing the burning determination in his Master's eyes, Polaris couldn't help but curl his jaws to a smile, satisfaction and relief flooding his heart. A slow and steady progress.
...
The night was long and the wind was cold. Darkness has swallowed the world and only the moon and stars above illuminated the world, their gentle light reflecting over the trickling streams, making them shine like jewels.
In such a dense forest, a lone figure could be seen sitting under the tree's shade, her eyes, blue as sapphire, wandering over yonder as her silver air fluttered in the cold, nightly breeze, the symphony of the night bringing music to her pointy ears.
She sighed and looked at the stars before her, reaching her hands out as if trying to grab them. Yet no matter how much she tried, it was impossible. They looked close yet far at the same time. A lonely smile bloomed on her face like a flower in the dark.
CHAPTER 281 END