"Fuwaah～! That was delicious～!" ［Yuna］
"Fufufu! You really make good eating faces, Yuna." ［Helen］
"Well, that's because the food is just so good, you know? I can eat here everyday for the rest of my life!" ［Yuna］
Laughter and giggles resounded in the air, the day bright as the sun above and the city merry as ever. The clock had struck 7 and people were having breakfast all over the city, warming up their stomachs to start their day.
A couple days have passed since Grey and Yuna had renovated the Sanctuary and they passed their time like they usually do. They did quests, alchemy, blacksmithing, farming, lazing around, and enjoying time with friends. Just the good days.
Now, they just finished breakfast at the Rabbit's Den and are about to start their day. With the quick work they did on the Yuna's matters, there really wasn't much more to do, and so, they decided to just chill around and do nothing for the day.
"Grey, did you hear that? Your bride says she wants to eat and stay here everyday! Can we keep her?" ［Helen］
"Hey now, don't go nabbing off another person's fiancée. And, can you even afford to feed her everyday? Yuna's not a small eater, mind you." ［Grey］
"Ugh... You're right... We're going to go bankrupt if we keep her..." ［Helen］
"Hey! You two, that's rude! I don't eat that much of a big eater, you know! I'm just like any other normal girl!" ［Yuna］
Or so she says, but no normal girl eats more than ten times a normal knight and eats snacks which are a meal of their own. Yuna could probably eat a week's worth of a whole family's meals in a single day, maybe even less.
Well, it's not like Grey could really blame her for that and he was also the same case. If Helen were to know their monthly expenditure on food alone, her jaws would surely have dropped to the ground. They could even afford a house with such amounts.
"Hey, have you heard? They say there are ghosts in the eastern forest."
"Hah! Do you really believe them? Those are just some baseless rumors! I'm sure they're just undead monsters!"
"But didn't the adventurers come back empty handed too? Even if they're unlucky, monsters would at least have a mana crystal."
And just as they were enjoying their day, a loud bunch of voices rang out in the air. They were the neighborhood gossipers who were talking about a certain happening by the eastern forest where people usually forage materials and do quests.
It wasn't the first time Grey and Yuna heard it for the day, rather, they have been hearing such rumors floating around since a couple days ago. And apparently, the witnesses are only increasing every day, people reporting to the guild and guards.
According to it, the temperature would suddenly drop in the eastern forest, and there would suddenly be rustling when there was nothing else around, and some say pebbles would suddenly roll around or that sprites of fire would appear out of thin air.
There were dozens of testimonies already, but the figures causing them have yet to be seen. Thankfully, no one has been reported to be hurt and that the "ghosts" were harmless. As such, they are dubbed as the "Playful Ghosts of the Eastern Forest".
"Grey, Yuna, what do you think? Is it really a ghost?" ［Helen］
"Hmm... I don't know... There are many undeads which have the ability to go invisible or lower the temperature, but..." ［Grey］
"People would have been hurt, right?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah. After all, monsters are born to cause harm." ［Grey］
While some monsters do possess intelligence and might look emotional, they are not what one would call sincere, but rather, mimicry of the people. They do not possess true intelligence and would harm people without a moment's notice.
Monsters, as they are, are manifested out of the people's fear, using corruption as the medium. It is already embedded in their instincts to hurt people as soon as they notice them, some even going so far as to chase them without breaks.
While many undead monsters could be called "ghost-like" like the poltergeists or the strays, there are no such things as "ghosts" which are said to be the lingering souls of the departed. Such were just myths even in Merusia.
"Then could it be a beast?" ［Helen］
"That could be possible, but... People would have seen them since beasts are living things. Only a few have the ability to hide themselves like people." ［Grey］
"Right, and I don't remember any beasts with abilities like those living near Galderiaー no, it might not even be present in the whole Kingdom." ［Yuna］
No, even if one were to consider the whole world, beasts with abilities are extremely rare, with most of them at the higher echelons of strength. People would have seen such goliaths if they were the ones causing chaos in the forest.
"It's most likely someone pulling a prank using their abilities. Maybe they have a stealth ability or something along those lines." ［Grey］
"I see... If you say so..." ［Helen］
Still, Grey and Yuna couldn't help but think about the playful and mysterious ghosts in the eastern forest. It may just be someone playing a prank using their abilities, but on the off chance that it wasn't they would be in for a surprise.
All they needed to do was head there and catch whatever was causing the rumors to spread, and they might be able to catch who the perpetrator was and satisfy their curiosity while they're at it. Of course...
『Grey, do you think a magic plant is causing all this?』 ［Yuna］
... Yuna was only hoping that it was a magic plant. She's never heard of such magic plants with said abilities, so she was sure that it was a new species if she is fortunate enough. Her eyes were sparkling excitedly as she asked Grey.
『Yuna... The someone would have already picked it if that's the case.』 ［Grey］
『Ah... Oh... That's right, isn't it?』 ［Yuna］
Though, those hopes were quickly crushed by none other than her beloved. After all, the world of adventurers runs on money. Even if such a plant did exist, they would have already plucked them out and sold them for a profit.
"Then, I guess we'll be leaving now, Helen." ［Grey］
"Hm? Then are you going to have dinner here later too? I can reserve some of the usual dishes if you like." ［Helen］
"I don't know... But maybe next time." ［Grey］
Yuna still a little dejected, the pair stood up from their table and placed their payment on top with a subtle clack. A creak and a series of clings followed after it as they went outside, waving their hands goodbye to Helen and company.
The open and busy streets welcomed them warmly, smiling faces blooming all over the place. Grey and Yuna's steps soon resumed and the two headed out to a certain direction, Grey humming with a carefree and excited face.
"Hm? Are we heading to the Guild, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah... You wanted to see if there really was a magic plant in the eastern forest, didn't you?" ［Grey］
"Un, I did, but didn't you say it was hopeless?" ［Yuna］
"Well, there's no harm in trying, is there? Plus, even if there isn't a magic plant, I'm sure we'd still find something interesting." ［Grey］
A weird kind of monster, a mutated and rare beast with abilities, some mischievous pranksters, or maybe an array which messes with the senses. There are an infinite number of possibilities about what they could find in the eastern forest.
And even if Grey and Yuna couldn't find anything, they could simply go have a stroll or gather some herbs and edible plants in the forest. They could also have a picnic while they're at it to fully enjoy their day. It was a win-win situation.
"So, what do you think? Should we head there, Milady?" ［Grey］
"Un! Let's do that! Let's go!" ［Yuna］
There was no need to think too much about it. The very moment Grey sprung up the suggestion, it was pretty much decided that they would be going, Yuna's eyes now sparkling as brightly as before as their steps echoed in the air.
The winds blew and their voices were drowned out in a bustling sea of noises. After walking a couple minutes, Grey and Yuna finally arrived in the guild, boisterous and merry greetings receiving them as they went inside.
The adventurers were as lax as usual, many lazing around as they waited for their party members to process their quests and many also talking about their most recent adventurers, bragging about their heroism and valor in their quests.
"Heh～? If you're so brave, why don't we head out to the eastern forest and test your courage. I heard some ghosts have been popping there recently."
"That's right! I'm sure a ghost or two won't scare you, right?"
"O-Of course! Those are just ghosts! Don't make light of me!"
And even in the guild, it seems like the rumors about the playful ghosts of the eastern forest had already spread, many adventurers talking about it and some even planning to check out the forest out of curiosity.
Of course, there were also some who had already headed there beforehand, but they were split into two parties, those that witnessed the ghost's playful pranks, and those that didn't. Though there were more of the latter, there were still a significant number of witnesses for the rumors to be ignored.
"Then, let's see just what kind of ghosts they're talking about..." ［Grey］
Meanwhile, Grey and Yuna were checking out the quest boards and looking out for those that had something to do in the eastern forest and its immediate vicinity, skimming through all the posted requests from left to right.
Goblin subjugation, the gathering of Kalkia herbs, escorting a merchant through the forest to a nearby village, searching for the bandits' hideout, collection of wolf pelt, and many more. There were all sorts of requests from the boards, however...
"It isn't here... How about you, Grey, did you find it?" ［Yuna］
"No, not here either." ［Grey］
... There wasn't one related to the rumors they heard about. The closest one was the subjugation of some skeletons, but they don't even look like ghosts, much less have the ability they have heard about. It was useless.
They could also pick some high-rank quests since they were already there, but the highest ranked ones are currently at D-rank only. The other adventurers were more than enough to clear them, and it would be rude to steal their work as well.
"Hmm... Should we ask Tilda, Grey? Maybe she knows something." ［Yuna］
"Alright, let's do that. We have nothing else to do anyway." ［Grey］
With no other choices left, Grey and Yuna then headed to the reception counters and waited for their turn. Thankfully, there weren't that many people in Tilda's lane so it didn't take them too long before it was their turn.
"Good morning, Tilda～!" ［Yuna］
"Good morning, Yuna, Grey! What brings you here today?" ［Tilda］
"Well, we were going to pick some quests as usual, but..." ［Grey］
"Let me guess... You wanted to ask about the ghost rumors, didn't you?" ［Tilda］
Grey hasn't even finished his words and Tilda already cut her off. It wasn't like she had any psychic powers or anything, it was just that Grey and Yuna weren't the only ones who asked about such matters about the ghosts.
In fact, it wasn't just her, but the other receptionists and even the Guildmaster as well had also been asked about the rumors for a couple days already. Most of the ones who asked were the adventurers, but there were also merchants in the mix.
It was fine at first as most of them were just curious, but after some time, some who were just straight up insane showed up, really wanting to head to the forest and go ghost hunting. They were so unreasonable, Tilda almost lost her professional smile.
"It must have been stressful... Sorry for asking..." ［Grey］
"Fufufu! You don't have to apologize about it, it's not your fault anyway. You just encounter those people from time to time." ［Tilda］
She was giggling softly, but Grey and Yuna could tell that dealing with such people wasn't a pleasant memory for Tilda. In fact, seeing her smile, they didn't want to inquire further about what happened during that time,
"Oh, dear me. I almost forgot... You were asking about the ghost rumors, weren't you, Grey, Yuna? You arrived just in time." ［Tilda］
Said the beautiful fox girl as she bent down and grabbed a tray of documents from her drawer. There were a handful of them nearly piled on top of one another, and Tilda searched through them one by one, stopping at a certain form,
"We were just going to post it since there were already a handful of requests, but it looks like we don't need to do that anymore." ［Tilda］
"Is this... A quest...?" ［Yuna］
"Yes! An investigation quest, to be exact!" ［Tilda］
Investigation quests, like the name implies are quests which tasks the adventurers to seek information about a certain matter and report it to the Guild. It could range from surveying the fields all the way to exploring an unknown and dangerous area. The riskier the task, the higher the reward will be,
As for the details of the quest, it was simply asking them to survey the eastern forest and confirm whether the rumors were true or not. It doesn't matter if they don't get any useful information. As long as they report honestly, the quest will be completed.
Since there were many people who made the request and also many witnesses, along with the difficulty of the forest, it was classified into an E-rank quest with a reward of 7 thousand kiels.
"We heard that many people have already gone there." ［Grey］
"That's true. Many people have gone to the forest before, and some adventurers have also reported back, but they have different testimonies so we still need an official investigation ro be carried out. That's what this quest is." ［Tilda］
"I see... So we just need to find what causes these phenomena to occur." ［Grey］
The reward was much lower than the amount higher ranked quests offered, but there was no reason to refuse. Other than satisfying their curiosity, they could also help out Tilda and the others who have been bothered by the insane fanatics.
Moreover, it was also perfect for Grey who has the "Divine Eyes" and the "Divine Mind". He only needs to run around a couple minutes to survey the whole forest and the quest would be done in a jiffy. There was nothing to lose.
"So, what do you think? Will you be taking the quest?" ［Tilda］
"Fufufu! Of course! You can count on us!" ［Yuna］
"Great! Then I will start processing the quest immediately." ［Tilda］
Tilda didn't dilly-dally any longer. As soon as Grey and Yuna accepted the request, she immediately started processing the ranking of the quest and asked for Grey and Yuna's guild card. It didn't even take her a single minute.
"Then, we will be relying on you two again. I wish for your safe return." ［Tilda］
"Un! We'll make sure to solve this mystery!" ［Yuna］
Enthusiastic as can be, Grey and Yuna headed out of the Adventurers' Guild and headed towards the eastern gates. They were hoping to see Dale and ask him a couple questions, but unfortunately, he was stationed in the southern gate.
Thankfully, there was someone just as reliable who was patrolling and supervising the eastern gate. He was a knight equipped with a sword by his side whom they haven't seen for months. It was none other than Ragnar.
"Good day, Sir Ragnar, it's been a while." ［Grey］
"A wonderful day it truly is, Your Highnesses. Is there perhaps anything you need from me?" ［Ragnar］
"Well, yeah. We were hoping to ask you a couple questions..." ［Grey］
Grey didn't waste any time and asked Ragnar about the recent happenings in the eastern forest, especially that regarding the recent rumors about ghosts. Since he's the eastern gate supervisor, he was the most knowledgeable of them all.
The latter simply nodded his head to Grey and Yuna's question, also taking a glance at their request paper and answered them to the best of his abilities. He didn't leave a single detail behind and made sure to give satisfying answers.
And as one would expect, his answers were just like the rumors they heard from the city folks. Or rather, it seems like many of the rumors came from the eastern gate itself. It was the right choice to ask him about it.
"I have already sent a couple of my men to the forest, but they have yet to report something usefulー Oh, right! Bell chimes!" ［Ragnar］
"Bell chimes...?" ［Grey］
"That's right. One of the teams who went to the forest said they heard the sound of bell chimes while they were exploring. They just came back this morning so the rumors haven't spread that much. I hope that helps, Your Highnesses." ［Ragnar］
"No, no, that's a lot of help. Thank you very much, Sir Ragnar." ［Grey］
Bell chimes... Just hearing those words, a couple things popped up in Grey's mind and many things made more sense. He didn't know why he didn't think of them before, but now he could definitely make sense of the rumors.
The sudden cooling of the air, the rolling of pebbles, the rustling of leaves, the fact that they couldn't see who was doing them, the fact that they just started happening, and now, the sound of bell chimes. Those facts only lead to a single thing.
『Grey, are you thinking what I'm thinking?』 ［Yuna］
『Yeah... It's probably them.』 ［Grey］
And as it seems, it looks like he wasn't the only one who connected the dots. Yuna also now has an inkling on who was causing such rumors to be circulating around the city. All the clues only lead to them.
"Is there something wrong, Your Highnesses?" ［Ragnar］
"Ah, no... I just thought of something. Nothing much to worry about." ［Grey］
"I see.., and I may be worrying too much, but I hope you proceed with caution, Your Highnesses. I know how strong you are, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. We don't know much about the enemies, after all." ［Ragnar］
They are powerful, powerful enough to destroy cities on a whim, but to think there are still people that worry about them as if they were just children. It was a little silly, but Grey and Yuna couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Of course. We'll make sure to be careful." ［Grey］
"Then, I can rest assured, Your Highnesses." ［Ragnar］
Everything out of the way, Grey and Yuna started to wander away toward the distant horizon, kicking up a cloud of dust when they were far enough. They dashed through the plains and left booming thunders in their wake.
A couple minutes passed and a sea of lush green and healthy brown slowly appeared before them. The eastern forest was in sight, the once sparse trees now cluttered into a dense spot, bushes, vines, and weeds popping up everywhere.
Of course, you can't forget the little critters which were hopping and crawling around. The little bunnies hid under the bushes, and the squirrels ran through the branches, a handful of butterflies flying about the verdant woods.
"Whe～! It's been a while since we ran, hasn't it?" ［Yuna］
"We just had a duel a couple days ago though. It hasn't been that long." ［Grey］
"Mou... Grey, you're no fun. That doesn't count!" ［Yuna］
Grey and Yuna finally arrived at the forest, halting their steps as they entered the lush and deep sea of trees. They were loud and lively, but their eyes were keen on the tiny details, swimming left and right as they observed the forest.
Grey had also used his "Heaven's Eye" to scan the vicinity, searching through a whooping radius of 8 kilometers in all directions, using his broken abilities to capture every single bit of information all in his field of view at once.
Yet no matter where he looked, be it the lush thickets, near the creeks, in the dense canopy, or the wide forest floor, he couldn't see a single thing which could be called strange. If anything, everything was fine and dandy, normal as usual.
"Did you find anything, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"No... On the contrary, things seem normal. There aren't even that many monsters and beasts around..." ［Grey］
"How about the adventurers or any people in particular?" ［Yuna］
"There are some, but... I doubt they could do something like those described in the rumors. They don't possess the ability to." ［Grey］
Despite the rumors, there were still many people going around in the Eastern Forest, most of them being adventurers who were on their own quests, defeating monsters and collecting the materials they dropped.
There were a handful of them, but Grey had already appraised them, and results were just as expected. Neither of them were capable of pulling off such frats, with most of them belonging at Low-Ranks. It was unlikely that they were the culprit.
"Then, looks like we have to go deeper..." ［Grey］
The sounds of footsteps resounded in the air and the winds started to whistle once more. The leaves rustle at their wake, accompanied by the chirping of the birds and the critters. Two figures headed deep inside the forest.
CHAPTER 347 END