"Hey, have you already checked the inventory? Make sure everything's perfect."
"Agh～! That was a long day... We could finally go home!"
"Mari, don't run so fast! You're going to trip yourself!"
Left, right, front, and center. The whole town was abuzz, people heading home, the stores closing down, and hustle and bustle slowly mellowing out as the sun continued to sink down the faraway horizon, the bell only waiting to ring.
The sky was still blue, hints of red and orange painted subtly as the colors started to shift. It was now 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and twilight was soon approaching. Yet despite that, the town was still lively, people looking forward to a lovely supper.
Two figures walked down by the streets, eyes lingering here and there as they passed through the neighborhood. There was a young lady, now humming to herself, a piece of candy in her mouth, and a young man watching over her. It was Grey and Yuna.
"You sure look happy... Then, can I take it that you had a lot of fun?" ［Grey］
"Un! It was amazing! There was so much to see and the people were amazing! Some of their dishes were a little too spicy, though..." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. That's fine, isn't it? You were able to handle them better today. Some day, I'm sure you'll be able to eat all sorts of spicy things." ［Grey］
"Un! I'm sure of that! I want to eat them with Grey, after all!" ［Yuna］
The two are now done with their dates, and had lots of fun. They went to all sorts of stores and stalls, watched new plays, watched performances by street performers, went on a carriage tour around town, and did so much more.
Of course, they also enjoyed lots of Veltofarian cuisine which revolves around beef, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, and lots of spices. Some were a little too spicy for Yuna, but she still managed to hold out and eat them without surrendering.
Grey had asked her not to push herself, but she still went on, wanting to share the experience with Grey even when tears were already forming by the corner of her eyes. It was a sight to behold, Grey chuckling all the while.
"Still... Grey, you were really mean. You were laughing all the time! You may have covered your mouth, but I could hear all your chuckles, you know?!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. That's because you were just too cute." ［Grey］
"Hmph! That won't work on me, you know?!" ［Yuna］
Or so she says, but her cheeks were tinted a light pink color as soon as Grey's words rang out in her pointy ears. She tried to hide it, trying to seem pouty, but her lips only broke into a bright and elated smile, obviously happy to have been complimented.
Like a little kitten, Yuna then started inching closer towards Grey and little by little, her hands slowly approached Grey's, soon holding with his big hands ever so tightly, their fingers interlocking with one another, not wanting to let go.
Grey already knew of Yuna's clingy tendencies, but when she does something like such, he couldn't help but have his heart skip a beat. He could only squeeze her hands in response, warming their hands under the golden sun.
"Anyway... Grey, let's go on another date tomorrow, okay?" ［Yuna］
"Eh? But we've been going out on dates these past few days. Shouldn't we stay in and relax ourselves a little? Aren't there any potions you wanted to brew?" ［Grey］
"Hmm... Let's have an alchemy date then! Grey will help me brew potions and be my test subー I mean, my assistant! It will be a lot of fun!" ［Yuna］
"Hey, you were just gonna say 'test subject', weren't you?" ［Grey］
"My～! You must have heard it wrong! There's no way I'll try to take advantage of my fiancé! I'm not such a despicable person!" ［Yuna］
Or so says the young lady, trying to disprove Grey's point all the while acting calm and collected. But when her eyes couldn't even maintain eye contact, it only did the opposite, only further proving Grey's point.
"Haah... Forget it... It's not like I have anything else to do anyway. I'll help you out in the morning, but in exchange, you'll be learning more blacksmithing from me in the afternoon. What do you think?" ［Grey］
"Eh?! That's unfair! You're going to be strict again! I'm sure of it!" ［Yuna］
"That's only natural. You've been stagnating at Tier-4 for too long. Isn't it about time you advance to Tier-5. I'm sure some insight will help you out with Alchemy one way or another. Just think of it as training." ［Grey］
"Uuu... I hate training... You always bully me.." ［Yuna］
"Great. We'll start by making alloys then." ［Grey］
The young lady tried to complain and argue, but her fate had already been sealed. All of a sudden, she doesn't want to cling on to Grey anymore and wants to get away from him and escape his planned demonic style of teaching. It was a futile attempt.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to reward you once you reach Tier-5. I'll make you any sweets you want and as a bonus, we'll also buy some books you'll like." ［Grey］
"Really?! No takesy-backsies, okay?!" ［Yuna］
"Of course. I swear on my nameー Oh! But we can only buy decent books, okay? None of those novels Helen recommended to you." ［Grey］
"U-Un! Th-That's fine!" ［Yuna］
Though, with a little bit of coaxing, Yuna quickly agreed to Grey's conditions as if she was a fish lured by Grey's bait. It was only after a little while that she realized how foolish of a decision it was, but it was already far too late.
Yuna wallowing in her decisions, the two continued to head back towards the "Sugar Pie", stopping by some stalls to buy something which caught their fancy. There were a few snacks and trinkets, all as interesting as the others.
Before long, they finally arrived by the inn, greeted by a loud clamor and commotion. But rather than rowdy customers waiting for dinner, there was a large mob of people standing by the entrance, gathering around in a crowd.
Compared to the lively and joyous atmosphere from before, there was now only tension in the air and the people's faces were laced with worry. All of them were mumbling and whispering as if afraid to be heard.
"You dirty b*tch! Do you want me to rip that useless mouth of yours?!" ［???］
"P-Please forgive me, My Lord! We were wrong!" ［Norma］
"Hah! If everything could be fixed with an apology then the world would have been a peaceful place! You lowly peasants should just be quiet!" ［???］
A couple of voices rang out in the air, one loud and wrathful whilst the other was very meek and subtle. It was a voice Grey and Yuna were familiar with. A voice which belonged to the owner of the Sugar Pie Inn, Norma.
"Wait, wasn't that..." ［Grey］
As soon as they realized what was going on, Grey and Yuna immediately rushed in towards the crowd of people asking them to part way and head towards the front with traces of urgency painted on both their faces.
Surely enough, it was trouble. As soon as they got forward, they were greeted by a horrible and clichéd scene of a nobleman abusing his authority and oppressing the commoners, Norma's family now kneeling on the ground.
Some of their close acquaintances wanted to intervene, but with knights protecting the noblemen, there was only so much they could do. They wanted to help, but with their lives and family on the line, they were completely powerless.
"Hey, shouldn't we help them out? They look so pitiful..."
"You go first. I don't want my family to be punished for treason."
"Tsk. This is why you shouldn't ever offend Lord Shurtem.. Damn nobles..."
The nobleman before them was one of your typical rich brats, wearing luxurious rings and necklaces made of precious gemstones, clothing made of high-quality silk, and guarded by several knights who looked just as scummy as he was.
Just one piece of his jewelry was enough for a family to live off comfortably for a few years, and doesn't suit him at all considering that he looked like a rat bastard with his bucktooth and his sharp chip which could probably stab someone to death. His face was filled with pimples and looked more oily than oil itself. An abomination.
"Tsk! This is why I hate animals like you. If you're an animal, you should just live like one! You lowly wh*re needs to be beaten more!" ［Shurtem］
"My Lord... Please have mercy... Please..." ［Shelma］
"Huh...?! What was that? Did you just say something just now? Sorry, but I can't speak animal tongue, you know? You need to know your place." ［Shurtem］
Worst of all, he was one who discriminated against other races, looking down on the beastfolk as if they were mere wild animals. There was only scorn in his eyes, all his knights giggling and chuckling at his words. They were as worthless as their master.
It seems that Norma's family somehow offended the rat bastardー I mean, Shurtem and is now being "punished" for whatever sins they've committed. It hasn't been long since they have been since they started but the abuse was already evident.
Nord was now down on the ground, his clothes torn by lashes of whips, and though not as much, Norma and Shelma also received some of whipping themselves, their exposed skin dyed a reddish color, their whole body trembling in fear.
But perhaps what's worst of all was that it wasn't just the adults, but even Liam who was but an innocent child was also whipped like them, his clothes torn and a red lash streaking on his face, now unconscious from the shock and pain.
"Those worthless scums...!" ［Yuna］
Intense anger and despise... Such was what bubbled inside Yuna's heart, her eyes gleaming a fierce and sharp glint as she watched the unfortunate state of the little rabbit. It has been a long time since she felt such anger.
Grey wanted to calm her down, but it's not like he doesn't understand where she was coming from. Though he looked calm on the outside, he was about to erupt and take matters into his own hands without hearing both sides. It was intense.
"But well... It seems like you look quite beautiful. We should be able to sell you for a high price on the black market. Kukuku!" ［Shurtem］
"Hahaha! Lord Shurtem, why don't we have fun with her a little bit?!"
"Right! It's been a long time, My Lord! We've been starving!"
"That's right! Just this once, My Lord!"
No, they weren't just scum. They were worse than monsters and trash which deserves to be eliminated from the world. It seems like it wasn't the first time they did such a thing, bringing cold chills down the spines of the spectators.
Grey and Yuna had been blinded by the peace in Oiros that they had forgotten that such trash and useless bastards exist in the world. They are weeds which not only waste oxygen, but also deprive others of their lives. The lowest of the low.
"My-My Lord! Please spare us! Please, I will do anything!" ［Shelma］
"Hey! Don't touch me! Let go of me, you filthy b*tch! Get your dirty hands off me! I said get your hands off me!" ［Shurtem］
"Please! My Lord, have mercy! At least spare my son!" ［Shelma］
"You damn animal! I told you not to speak to me!" ［Shurtem］
Despair and desperation loomed in her heart, and as her sorrowful tears fell towards the ground, all she could do was cling unto Shurtem and beg for mercy. Her body was still weak from the whipping, but she tried to hold on as much as she could.
However, such a sight did not please Shurtem even a single hit. Rather, it only made him even angler, irked veins popping on his head and his face painted red with anger as the knights continued to snicker on Shelma's desperate struggle.
"Stupid f*cker! It seems like you haven't been beaten enough!" ［Shurtem］
His booming voice thundering throughout the streets, Shurtem then clenched the handle of the whip even harder and soon raised his hand towards the sky, a crazed expression on his face. A lashing whip resounded in the airー
"Huh...?" ［Shurtem］
... Or at least, it should have been. When suddenly, an unfamiliar figure appeared before his eyes and grabbed ahold unto his whip, stopping him from reaching the poor Shelma, who was now with Yuna along her family.
"You... Who are you?! What are you doing?!" ［Shurtem］
"That's what I should be asking you... What do you think you're doing?" ［Grey］
It was none other than Grey, unfazed by the painful whip Shurtem unleashed. He simply stood there as if it was nothing. And when Shurtem tried to pull it back, it was useless. It wouldn't even budge an inch no matter how hard he tried.
He was already pissed when his day was ruined by Shelma's family, but now, two more figures appeared before him and stopped him in his fun. Shurtem is now even more irritated, his already ugly face turning even uglier.
What's worse, Grey looked much more handsome than him by several leaps and bounds. As someone who has an inferiority complex with how he looks, his anger boiled even more, gritting his mouth and clenching his fist in anger.
"These bastards... You always ruin my day... What do you think you're doing?! Teach this clown a lesson he'll never forget!" ［Shurtem］
"Hahaha! We were just waiting for your orders! It's finally time toー Huh?"
BOOOOMMM FWOOOSSSH WHOOSH CRASH
The knight couldn't even finish his words, when suddenly, Grey's domineering fist appearing appeared before him. It connected with his face and caved it in 'til it bled, then blasting him several meters towards the air. A loud crash echoed soon after.
However, it didn't just end there. As soon as Grey was done with one of them, he then disappeared from their sight, and as soon as he reappeared, he was already before another one, his hand grabbing him by the head.
"H-Huh....?" ［Shurtem］
There was no time to react, the knight unable to ask himself what was happening. His vision soon started to blur as Grey plunged his face towards the ground. creating a crater on the streets and making him release a pained groan.
There were a D-ranker and 5 E-rankers which served as Shurtem's escort, but it was all futile and insignificant. With Grey standing before them, they were all defeated one after another even without the chance to retaliate and harm him.
It was a sight not one person from the crowd ever imagined, a group of knights wholly wiped out by a single person. To make it even more intriguing, he was much younger than al, of them, yet they couldn't even be called a match.
"Hieeekkk....!!" ［Shurtem］
Grey looked at Shurtem with a sharp glare, and he quickly let out a scared shriek, shaking like a wet kitten in the rainー No, comparing him to kittens would be very disrespectful to the poor kittens. He was nothing but garbage.
⟨⟨Perfect Heal⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
And just as Grey was finished beating up the knights, Yuna was also done treating everyone's wounds, all their pain and injuries melting away as if they were just mere lies. Their complexions have turned healthy, tears of joy trickling down their faces.
They were especially glad for Liam. He who was pale as can be before and riddled with wounds was now healthy and free of even the slightest scratches. Shelma could only hug her beloved son, not wanting to let go.
"Thank you... Thank you very much, Elena... Thank you..." ［Norma］
"No, I only did what should be done... There's no need to be so thankful... Anyway, can you tell us what happened, Aunty Norma?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, that... I... We...." ［Norma］
"Don't worry. We will protect you no matter what happens. We may look like this, but we're pretty strong, you know? Please speak freely." ［Yuna］
Norma was a little hesitant at first, eyes glancing towards Shurtem with fear. But with Yuna's reassurance, she doesn't know why, but she felt very secure. She soon started speaking, revealing something even more shocking.
Apparently, Shurtem and his knights were just on the way home from wasting their day in a brothel, and though for some reason, though nobles usually travel using carriages, they decided to hit the streets, people bowing in fear as they passed.
And coincidentally, it was also at that time that Liam was asked by Norma to bring out the buckets of dirty water to throw in the sewer. It was just an accident, but the young boy tripped on a rock and spilled the bucket, all the while Shurtem passed.
He wasn't even drenched, and only a couple drops splashes on his clothes. However, such was more than enough for him to get angry and harass the young child, bringing out his whip and punishing the young child unreasonably.
As soon as they heard what happened, his family quickly rushed out to protect him and ask for forgiveness, however it was futile. Rather, they were also whipped along with him, their pained screams filling the streets.
"A couple drops... Just because your clothes got a little dirty, you dared to whip an innocent child?!" ［Yuna］
"Hah?! Do you even know how expensive my clothes?0 are, you b*tch?! These cost more than these pathetic peasants' lives!" ［Shurtem］
"You're insane! An innocent child shouldn't be treated this way!" ［Yuna］
"Who cares if they're treated like sh*t?! You're all just parasites which live in our lands! Whether we kill you or spare you is entirely up to us! You should already be grateful that you can bask in my presence!" ［Shurtem］
He was unreasonableー No, he was beyond unreasonable. He was insane.
Yuna tried to talk to Shurtem about his extreme actions, but it seems that even words don't work against the rat bastard. Not only was he weak and ugly, he was lacking in the mental department as well, unable to understand his fault.
The only thing he achieved with his delirious and insane words was make Grey and Yuna even more irritated and angry, wanting to eliminate him from the world only if they could, their eyes turning colder by the moment.
"But well... You do look very beautiful... And it seems like you're knowledgeable in healing magic as well..." ［Shurtem］
And as if everything he said still wasn't enough, he soon started ogling Yuna with malicious and lecherous eyes. He desired both her abilities and her beauty, looking at her like some sort of object to be had.
"I'll give you one more chance... Become my woman, and I'll act as if nothing ever happened. That should be generous for a worthless b*tch likeー" ［Shurtem］
"Haha... It seems like you really know how to run your mouth. I thought you were useless, but it seems like you're talented in making people angry. That's something... For a rat-looking goblin, that is..." ［Grey］
"Hah?! What did you justー" ［Shurtem］
The final string finally snapped...
BOOOOMMM CRAASSSHHHHH
It was all too sudden, Grey's fist flying towards Shurtem's hideous face and giving him a makeover, a couple teeth flying away. He was blasted towards the walls of the inn, his head hitting the bricks and blood coughing out of his mouth.
While it's true that they could be in great trouble for assaulting and killing a nobleman, such would only be possible if they really were evidently "harmed"... However, with healing spells in their arsenals... It was a totally different matter...
"You were just talking about how you wanted this healing magic magic, right? Here you go then... ⟨⟨Perfect Heal⟩⟩⟨⟨Rejuvenate⟩⟩." ［Grey］
Grey casted a spell and golden light shone throughout the streets. Shurtem's wounds and broken bones were immediately healed. A bit of water magic later, and he was back to the world, conscious as can be.
"Wh-What just happenedー" ［Shurtem］
BOOOOM CRAASSSHHHHHH
However, even before a couple seconds passed, Grey fired another punch towards his despicable face, caving it in once more. It hasn't been long and he was already sent to dreamland once again, froth and blood gushing out of his mouth.
Once... Twice... Thrice... And a few more times...
Grey repeated the process of healing and beating up, making sure Shurtem was conscious to remember the pain and etching it to his memories as his teeth were removed one after another. It was brutal and merciless, Grey's eyes even colder than ice.
All the spectators which watched the scene unfold were speechless as can be, all covering their mouths as they watched a stranger beat up the villainous son of the Lord. It was a scene they'd never imagined to witness, all eyes peeled open.
It didn't take too long before the rumors spread out and some knights and soldiers appeared as reinforcements, bearing swords and spears with them. The crowd quickly dispersed at the sight, scurrying around as quickly as they could.
"You! What do you think you're doー Urkk!!"
Yet before they could even finish their sentence, they were forcefully stopped by Grey. He threw towards them Shurtem's already healed and unconscious body, looking as if he was just throwing trash towards the trash can.
"You! Do you know who you're dealing with?!"
"I do... But... Is there anything you can do about it?" ［Grey］
The knights once again tried to use the power and influence of the Lord, but before they could speak even further, Grey interrupted them as rudely as possible, all the while releasing his aura and showing them how insignificant they were.
It was heavy and domineering, not a single knight able to move a muscle with how intense Grey's aura was. It was as if they were facing an insurmountable mountain, not a single path of victory in sight.
"Kugh... We'll remember this..."
All the knights could do was hang their heads down and give up on confronting Grey. With the unconscious Shurtem and Knights with them, they headed back to the Lord's mansion, eyes filled with hatred and hostility.
Their figures slowly vanished towards the horizon, and soon enough, they were gone. Grey soon heaved a lengthy sigh and released his aura, silence looming all over the place. It was an unbelievable sight, everyone still speechless.
"Aunty Norma, sorry for troubling you all of a sudden, but... Can we ask you a couple of questions?" ［Grey］
"... Understood." ［Norma］
The feud was far from over...
CHAPTER 414 END