"Waah～! So high～!" ［Yuna］
The young lady tilted her head up and scaled what was before her. It was a cliff more than a couple hundred meters high, rocky and steep as can be. It was like a complete wall, the whole mountain seemingly cut by a sword of some sort.
Yet despite how flat and steep the cliff was, the lonely trees and rocks protruding from it became platforms for the birds and winged creatures to make their nest, safe from all sorts of harm from above and and below.
They made their nest to be as secure as can be, some beasts even using magic to ensure that their eggs and young wouldn't fall off when they aren't watching. It was the perfect defense for hungry predators and adventurers alike.
"Do adventurers really climb cliffs this high?" ［Yuna］
"Normally, people don't accept these kinds of quests, that's why it's a fairly high-ranking one. It's also the reason why their feathers are pretty valuable." ［Grey］
"Mmn... It's too bad they can't be used for alchemy, though..." ［Yuna］
"Yuna... Not everything has to be useful in alchemy, you know?" ［Grey］
It has been several days since Grey and Yuna started taking quests left, right, and center, and after clearing out most of the high-ranking quests in Galderia's Guild, they are now clearing some of the long-standing quests in other branches.
The Guildmaster has some access to what kind of information the other branches have and could also refer them to other adventurers if needed be. If not for Grey and Yuna, those quests might not have been completed for a very long time.
And now, they are yet on another quest. This time, they are tasked to harvest some feathers of the Rhapsodic Macaw which lives in the steep cliffs of the forest. It was the very same cliff Yuna scaled, measuring a couple hundred meters high.
The Rhapsodic Macaws aren't beasts, so there aren't really any real threats from them. The problem is how high they live. One wrong move and one could risk their lives, the clutches of death waiting for them.
"How long do you reckon it would take us, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"A few minutes is more than enough." ［Grey］
Well, for Grey and Yuna, it was nothing more than child's play. After all, they can jump more than a kilometer high without much effort so scaling the cliff won't be a problem for them. Even if they fall, it wouldn't hurt them either.
It was literally a quest made for them and any High-Ranker. All they need to do is jump a couple of times and collect some fallen off feathers while they're at it, casually preparing their sacks as if they're going to pick some berries by the bushes.
"Then, I'll be going ahead, Milady." ［Grey］
There was no time to waste. As soon as Grey was ready, he quickly leaped to the air without much effort and reached the height of the nests in less than a second, and as if it was not a big deal, he simply landed, steps light as a feather.
And what might he be stepping on, one might ask? It was air... Yep, it was air.
Grey simply used wind magic to create a platform of "solid" wind below him and used it as footing to gain some ground. At a far distance, he would look like someone who is levitating, casually going about on his day.
Yuna followed soon enough, but rather than levitating casually like Grey, she simply created a platform of ice and stuck it by the side of the cliff. It doesn't make much sense looking at her, but compared to Grey, it seemed much more acceptable.
"Ohh～! These feathers are so pretty～!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. That's the reason why it's popular despite being so hard to acquire. It's something nobles, the gentry, and rich merchants quite fancy." ［Grey］
"How many colors are there... It's like a rainbow..." ［Yuna］
"Try touching them, they actually feel smooth and soft. They're also quite sturdy so they're a little bit harder to deform compared to other feathers." ［Grey］
Or so said Grey, but the main function of the feathers is really just its aesthetics. It pairs well with all sorts of garments, styles, and designs, making it a great material for designers to work with, and very popular to wealthy people.
It also comes in all sorts of colors, able to create a whole spectrum if one desires so. Its versatility was the main reason why there was a large demand for it, people willing to buy it even for prices one could only be bewildered with.
Unfortunately, the Rhapsodic Macaw are very delicate birds. They are ones which won&4 survive without its flock and in a different habitat. Even now, people still have a hard time figuring out how to raise them for their high commercial value.
"Grey, do you think their meat is delicious?" ［Yuna］
Of course, such aesthetic value didn't matter much to Yuna. What she was more interested in was how the meat of such popular birds taste like. There are also a couple eggs present, so she was also curious about that.
"Well, I've heard it's quite tasty, and healthy as well... It's just... Yuna, why is that always the first thing on your mind." ［Grey］
"Th-That's! I-I was just curious!" ［Yuna］
"Haah... Just forget it. You can hunt them, but only a couple of them, alright? Don't take too many eggs either. We don't want them to be extinct." ［Grey］
"... I haven't said anything yet, though..." ［Yuna］
"You're gonna ask for permission anyway, or am I actually mistaken?" ［Grey］
Asked Grey, but there were no answers from the young lady. Having lived with Yuna for years already, he already knows what kind of questions will pop up next. He just gave her permission, not wanting to drag things any longer.
Grey didn't even try to convince Yuna not to hunt them. Because even if he did end up convincing her, he knows she will trouble him about it until he gives up and says yes. It's not like he has much resistance to her pleas anyway.
Now, it feels like he's a father watching over his daughter again. If only she doesn't have such a hoarder's mentality and go ham every time she collects things, she won't have to ask for Grey's permission anymore. Such a trouble she was.
"Grey, you were thinking of something rude just now, weren't you?" ［Yuna］
"What are you talking about? I was just thinking of how cute my fiancée is." ［Grey］
"Really...? Are you sure about that...?" ［Yuna］
And it doesn't help that she's becoming needlessly sharp on things. It's not a terrible thing, but when it comes to situations like such, it was really bad. Grey could only hope she doesn't turn any more similar to Vanessa.
"Then, I'll collect the feathers on the left, and you do the ones on the right. I saw some birds flying by the rightmost side of the cliffs so the Rhapsodic Macaws might be gathering there. You can check them out if you want." ［Grey］
"Grey, you're avoiding the topic," ［Yuna］
"My, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Milady." ［Grey］
All nonsense aside, Grey and Yuna soon started working on their quest, collecting the fallen feathers here and there. The large sacks they brought quickly filled up, soon stored one after another, another one taken out soon after.
It was as if they were just on a casual shopping spree, stopping by the nest and picking up the feathers, one by one. They also made sure to clean them up with a little bit of water magic, not wanting to ruin their quality.
And speaking of quality, there was no need for them to check. While there are some deviations, it would be up to the assessors later on to categorize them. All they were tasked with is collecting them, and collect them, they did,
"Come here, birdies～! I won't harm you, you know～?" ［Yuna］
There was also no need to ask how Yuna was faring in her hunt. The birds flew up several hundred meters towards the sky, but it was futile. Yuna simply leaped from the cliffs and nabbed them by the neck as if it was the most natural thing to do.
After a couple minutes of "hunting", Yuna already got herself about 10 of such birds, wanting to hunt more and collecting some eggs and feathers while they're at it. It's a huge relief their population was still in the couple thousands.
"Hmm... This looks quite fancy... I'll keep these to myself..." ［Grey］
As for Grey, he didn't pay much attention to his fiancée anymore. As long as she was having fun, it was more than enough for him. He simply focused on completing the quest, collecting all sorts of feathers while he's at it.
There were some feathers which caught his eyes, so he decided to keep them for himself. He could make a couple things with it in his free time, and could also give them as a present for someone. It would be wonderful either way.
If there was something noteworthy, it would be the presence of Earth Spirits dwelling along the cliff. They were all Floating Spirits, but spirits nonetheless. They've already gone as far as the other regions, spreading all throughout the continent.
CLING CLING CLING CLING
"Hahaha. What cute little guys." ［Grey］
Time passed just like that, and what was supposed to be just a few minutes lasted for about half an hour. Yuna just had too much fun in the latter parts, she completely got derailed from her task and forgot they were doing a quest.
Thankfully, Grey was there to complete her side of the quest, just letting her have as much fun as she could. A few more minutes doesn't matter much to them anyway. He may be strict at times, but he was also very doting on her.
"Uuu... Grey, sorry... I didn't help at all..." ［Yuna］
"I told you already, it's fine. As long as you're having fun, that's what matters. It's not that hard of a quest anyway. You can just help out on the next quest." ［Grey］
"Okay... And, sorry again... I went overboard this time too..." ［Yuna］
All in all, Grey and Yuna collected about 13 sacks of feathers, most of them of fairly high quality. There was also a small sack of feathers which Grey especially picked for himself, and for later use. It was a great haul.
"By the way, Yuna. How many of them did you catch?" ［Grey］
"Hmmn... I think I got about 50ー No, about 60 of them. I also got about a basket of eggs. I think there were about 3 dozen of them?" ［Yuna］
"That's quite a lot... But considering their population, I don't think it would put them in danger... Good job on holding yourself back." ［Grey］
A smile bloomed on Grey's face and he soon patted the young lady's head. It was still far off from the ideal, but it was a huge improvement seeing how much the latter held herself back from going overboard in collecting the materials.
There was nothing left to be said of the young lady's response. She was smiling from ear to ear from Grey's head pats, happily enjoying herself being spoiled by her fiancé. The two of them returned to the forest with a sweet and sappy air about them.
"Welcome back, Master, Mistress." ［Sirius］
"Master, Mistress, over here! I caught a massive boar!" ［Procyon］
The very moment they returned, they were quickly greeted by a warm welcome from the familiars, all of them receiving them with smiles on their faces. They were still in dragon forms, but they were no different than large puppies.
Grey and Yuna had released them in the wild to hunt and feed themselves with all the monsters roaming around the place. As it seems, they finished quite early, Procyon even having the leisure to hunt down a boar while she was at it.
And speaking of Procyon, she and Achernar had just reached Calamity-Class a few days ago whilst they were training inside the Sanctuary. Now, all of their familiars are transcendents, making quite a fearsome and powerful force to be reckoned with.
"Ohhh～! Isn't this quite a catch? These are quite tasty, you know?" ［Grey］
"Really?! Shall we have dinner with it and the Macaws' meat today then?!" ［Yuna］
"Ohh! Please do so, Master, Mistress! I want a huge serving!" ［Procyon］
"Me too. I also want the same servings as Procyon." ［Achernar］
Well, if there's any other thing that changed, it was that the two of them now carry the same enthusiasm as Yuna when it comes to delicious food. They have become quite the gourmets, enjoying all sorts of delicious food quite happily.
No, actually... It wasn't just Procyon and Achernar, but all the familiars. It's a good thing that they don't eat a lot in their wolf pup forms, otherwise, their food expenses would have been off the charts. Not that it's a problem for them though.
And just as Yuna and the familiars were happily discussing what they'll be having for dinner, Grey's eyes lingered around in search of the spirits. His head stopped turning as soon as he saw them, sporting a ball of moss and flowers, a floating flame, a pile of rocks, and a... Snowman....?
"H... Huh....?" ［Grey］
It was the middle of a forest in a tropical region, and yet there was a snowman sitting right in front of him. It doesn't have a carrot nose and twig-like arms, but it was still a snowman nonetheless, complete with button-like eyes and sleeves of ice.
What's even stranger was that it was a snowman that was alive, hopping and floating left and right as if it was the happiest object in the world. The moment its button-like eyes landed on Grey and Yuna, it danced happily as if greeting them.
"Wait... Don't tell me that's..." ［Grey］
"Your suspicion is right, Master. That is Algenib." ［Rigel］
Surely enough, it was one of their contracted spirits, Algenib. It was just a large chunk of ice when they left it and not even an hour has passed yet it has already become so different. There was a sense of familiarity, but it was still weird looking at it.
Now that Grey had taken a closer look at it, it wasn't just simply a snowman. There are also shards of ice hovering around it and a crown of frost forming atop its snowy head. It sounds weird, but strangely enough, it fits the little snowball.
⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
-----------------------------------
[Spirit]
[Name]Algenib
[Age]0
[Rank]Middle Spirit (Fighter)
[Status]Healthy, Elated
[Mana Capacity]301 [Mana Quality]E
[Combat Power]100 [Threat Level]E
[Gems]5
[Attribute]Ice
-----------------------------------
As for the reason why Algenib's appearance changed ever so drastically, there was nothing more about it. Algenib simply ranked up from a Lesser Spirit into a Middle Spirit, now at E-rank and able to clash with Treants and High Orcs alike.
The rank of Lesser Spirits are divided to "Wanderer", "Explorer", and "Adventurer", corresponding to H, G, and F ranks, respectively. It seems that Middle Spirits also follow the same rule of thumb. The subrank will likely change once they hit D-rank.
'I wonder if they'll change again once they become B-rank...' ［Grey］
Thought Grey, all the while observing the trend of the spirits. If he's right, then by the time spirits reach B-rank, they should have another drastic transformation, and might turn them into something completely different. It was worth taking note of.
"Whoa～! Algenib, you changed a lot～! I can barely recognize you..." ［Yuna］
"Thanks... Mistress... Happy..." ［Algenib］
"Fufufu! That good theー Eh?! You can talk now?!" ［Yuna］
Yet another surprise came to the two of them, the little snowman greeting them with a bright smile. Its speech was still broken and there were still soft chimes in its voice, but Algenib can definitely speak now.
Algenib's voice sounds like that of a young child maybe 5 or 6 years old of age. It was high pitched and resembled that of a child, but not irritating or anything of the sorts. Rather, it was quite comforting and relaxing to listen to.
Grey and Yuna could already somewhat understand the spirits' feelings before, but now that Algenib can speak its mind, communication with them would be much better in the future. It was unexpected, but a wonderful find.
"Algenib... Talk... Bad...?" ［Algenib］
"No, no, not at all! I was just surprised! But it's good that you can talk now! We're super happy for you, Algenib!" ［Yuna］
"Algenib... Happy... Happy..." ［Algenib］
It could barely be considered a compliment, but Yuna's few words brought the little snowman high up on cloud nine. It danced happily with snow falling atop of it, the sound of soft chimes and bells drifting in the air.
Algenib was already cute before, but now that it gained the form of a snowman, it was a hundred times even more so. It reminded Grey of the cartoons he watched when he was just a small boy, looking almost exactly like those animated snowmen.
But of course, for the young lady who had never seen such animated shows, her heart was quickly captured by the cuteness, hugging the little snowball with delight painted on her face. She hugged Algenib as if it was some sort of stuffed toy.
"Yuna... Algenib might melt if you do that. Don't be too reckless..." ［Grey］
"Master... Algenib... No... Melt..." ［Algenib］
"See～? Algenib says that its okay, so it's fine!" ［Yuna］
Thankfully, unlike authentic snowmen, since Algenib was made of aether, it won't just melt from something as simple as body warmth. Yuna could hug the little snowball as much as she can without any regrets. She gained another cuddling toy of her own.
Grey was happy for Yuna and the little snowman, but seeing Yuna hug Algenib so enthusiastically, he could help but feel a little bit jealousー or at least for a short time he was. He immediately shook off the thought, remembering how unsightly envy is.
Rather than dwell on the thought, Grey simply shifted his attention to the other spirits with them. Since they are just as powerful as Algenib, and their combat powers are already at the peak of F-rank, it shouldn't take long before they rank up as well.
"Then, shall we also turn you into Middle Spirits?" ［Grey］
"Ohh! That's a great idea, Grey! Let's do that!" ［Yuna］
CLING CLING CLING CLING
Excitement in the air, Grey, Yuna, and everyone else soon spread throughout the forest and hunted down some monsters. There weren't a lot of them, so they made sure to save every single one and hunt as efficiently as possible.
It was a shame that monsters summoned with magic are made of raw mana and a mix of aether, and not corruption, otherwise, things would have been a lot easier for them. All they would have needed to do is summon some.
Fortunately enough, there were still some monsters left and some which had just spawned in the forest. They made sure to wipe off every single one of them, letting the contracted spirits have the last strike and consume them.
The spirits may look cute and adorable, but they were still at the peak of F-rank. They have more than enough power to overpower even powerful adults and fire spells that could break trees even without much effort. They were still powerful.
"Ohh～! It's working! Grey, look! Markab is glowing!" ［Yuna］
"Ohhh... This reminds me a lot of pok*mon..." ［Grey］
"Pok... What...?" ［Yuna］
"Nothing. Don't worry about it." ［Grey］
The first to rank up amongst the three remaining spirits was none other Markab, the one who wields the Earth attribute. He suddenly started glowing and his body started to change shapes, growing bigger and bigger with the passing of time.
From a large rock with numerous other smaller rocks revolving around it, Markab now grew arms and fingers and its body also grew quite a lot. It was quite chunky and a couple of rocks revolved around it. It really does resemble a certain pok*men.
"Ohh! Look, Master, Mistress! Scheat is also changing!" ［Vega］
Who came after Markan was Scheat. From a ball of flames, its body suddenly got longer and became serpentine, some scales even showing as if it had become a snake. A snake whose body was made of fire.
Finally, there was Alpheratz. The flower in its mossy body has now consumed its whole body and has become sentient. It has grown eyes and its branches have become its limbs, buds growing at the tip. It had become a growing plant.
"Greetings... Master... Mistress... All...." ［Markab］
"Hello... All... Happy... Delight..." ［Scheat］
"Nice... Talk... Finally... Great..." ［Alpheratz］
Much like Algenib, the other spirits have also now gained the ability to talk, and the first things they all said the moment they could were their greetings and words of gratitude and delight for finally being able to communicate with everyone.
Their words may be broken, but everyone could understand what they were trying to convey. Yuna then gave them a hug each, and surprisingly, they weren't hot, prickly, or hard at all. They were just as wonderful as Algenib was.
"Fufufu! Good for you, everyone. Now, we can talk all day, everyday!" ［Yuna］
"That's a bit much, isn't it? They've just started talking, you know?" ［Grey］
"Teehee! I just got a little carried away." ［Yuna］
Of course, along with their ability to speak was also the improvement with the ability to fight. Their combat power hasn't increased much so their attack power wouldn't change much, but their mana quality has ranked up a notch.
With it, they would be able to last longer in battle and use a lot more spells and magic. They also won't get intimated as much by the aura of higher-ranking opponents like they did before. It was a wonderful improvement no matter where one looked at it.
"Then, shall we test out how much you've all improved?" ［Yuna］
Of course, what better way to see their improvement than participate in a real battle. There are still quite a couple monsters left in the forest, and some of them were of E-rank. They were the perfect targets for practicing their newfound strengths.
The contracted spirit quickly agreed to Yuna's words, the sound of sweet and soft chimes drifting in the air. They were all excited for battle, following their Mistress before them. It was a happy parade, enthusiastic spirits happy as can be.
'Hmmm... I feel like I'm forgetting something...' ［Grey］
And just as they were heading off to battle, a sudden thought occurred to Grey. It was something important and something he needed to accomplish, but he just couldn't put his finger into it. He could only scratch his head.
'Ah, right... There's that, isn't there?' ［Grey］
CHAPTER 401 END