"Yuna, what would you like for dessert? Strawberry shortcake or lemon cake?" ［Grey］
Grey asked as he looked at Yuna's direction. The latter was thinking how to respond to the former's question. She was wearing a serious yet adorable expression on her face.
It has been a few days since Grey and Yuna had eaten hamburg steak together with Mira's family. While they have shared meals a couple of times after that, it wasn't as frequent compared to sharing a meal with Helen's family.
With the Labyrinth's opening drawing nearer with each passing day, more and more people have traveled towards Moterno. Most of those travelers were adventurers and merchants who were seeking to profit in the labyrinth. It was also the reason why all inns have become busy.
It was currently a little past noon. Grey and Yuna had just returned from their daily adventurer work. With the decrease of High-rank quests, their time spent on adventuring has also decreased. They now have a lot of free time in their hands.
"Mmm... Can't we just have both...?" ［Yuna］
"No can do. If we eat them both right now, we won't be able to eat them after some time. The cafes are always full so we won't be able to get more. We need to control ourselves." ［Grey］
"Uuu..." ［Yuna］
A dejected groan came out of Yuna's mouth as she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She liked to eat both but she couldn't handle the consequences. It was a silly dilemma.
Of course, Grey could just make these cakes by trial and error and with the aid of his memories from his past life, but there was one problem... He lacked the ingredients. He didn't know who was the supplier of the cafes.
'Hmm... Should I head to the Merchants' Guild later...?' ［Grey］
Grey pondered seriously as he really wanted to get hands on more ingredients. While the market has a lot to offer, there is a limit to the things one could acquire. Grey was hoping that the Merchants' Guild could provide him with what he needed.
The Merchants' Guild, just like the Adventurers' Guild, is an international organization which facilitates commerce and mercantile activities. If there was a place which could provide rare ingredients, it was the only place Grey could think of.
"Help! Somebody, help!!" ［???］
Yuna didn't even have the chance to answer Grey's question as a sudden scream echoed in their ears. While normal people might not hear it, it wasn't the case for high-rankers.
The origin of the scream came from another alley. It was a similar situation to the time Grey and Yuna rescued a pair of rookie adventurers from one of the scumbags who was part of Iblis.
Grey and Yuna immediately pinpointed the origin of the scream and rushed towards it without wasting any time. They skillfully avoided the large crowd and dove deep inside the alleyways. It only took them a few turns to arrive at the origin of the scream.
The moment they arrived, Grey and Yuna saw a woman in her twenties, wearing a maid outfit, shielding a young girl with her body from the assault of unruly men. There were a total of 6 men ganging up on a single woman.
No matter how one would look at it, it was clear who was the victim and who were the assaulters. Grey didn't even need to use his "Judgement" and quickly rushed towards the group of men with Yuna following behind him.
"H... Huh...?" ［Assaulter］
It was already far too late when one of the men noticed Grey and Yuna's arrival. They weren't even able to react from how quick the two moved and before they knew it. The outcome was already decided.
After receiving a single punch from either Grey or Yuna, the men were brought down to their knees one after another. They all fell to the ground unconscious and their mouths frothing with white foam.
"Huh...? What... happ..." ［???］
"Rosa! Rosa! Please wake up!" ［Young Girl］
Before the maid could finish her statement, her consciousness had darkened and she helplessly collapsed to the ground. Her breathing was heavy and her face was contorting in pain.
Tears were trickling down heavily on the young girl's face as she tried her best to wake up the fainted main, but it was all useless. No matter how hard she shook her, there was no response.
If one were to look at the maid closely, one would notice the amount of black and blue spots all over her delicate-looking body. One could only imagine the pain she had endured in order to protect the young girl.
Of course, Grey and Yuna didn't just stand by and do nothing. As soon as the maid collapsed, Grey squatted down to the ground in order to cast a healing spell towards the unconscious maid.
"Little girl, please step aside." ［Grey］
"W-W-What are you going to do to Rosa?!" ［Young Girl］
"Don't worry, it's just a healing spell." ［Grey］
When the young girl heard Grey was going to heal the maid, tears slowly stopped flowing from her eyes as she looked at Grey with eyes full of hope and desperation.
"Can you really heal her?! Please! I will do anything! Just please heal Rosa!" ［Young Girl］
"Don't worry, little girl, Grey can do it. For now, why don't you tell this big sister what happened here?" ［Yuna］
"O-Okay..." ［Young Girl］
While Grey handled the unconscious maid, Yuna took the initiative to reassure the young girl and asked about how the situation unfolded in order to get her mind off the injured maid.
Meanwhile Grey had already laid out the maid gently on the ground, and a few moments later, gentle and warm light shone from Grey's hand.
⟨⟨High Heal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
As the maid basked in the light, her bruises slowly disappeared and her one pale complexion became a lot better. Luckily, there weren't any deep injuries. The maid will most likely wake up in an hour or two.
While Yuna was talking with the young girl, Grey took the opportunity and tied up the unconscious men sprawling in the ground. He then casted a "Sleep" spell on them just to be sure.
"Sleep" is a spell born of curse magic, and curse magic like, holy magic which contained recovery spells, are among the 5 special types of magic which didn't belong to any elemental attribute or class. The other 3 being barrier magic, summoning magic, and illusion magic.
These magics are of null attribute and are used in many applications. But even though these magics are useful, not many people practice them because on top of being hard to master, it also doesn't make one stronger.
Unlike arts and elemental magic which affects the flow of mana, special magics doesn't, because it works simply by ejecting mana outside of the body while visualizing how the mana will work.
This meant that practicing special magics wouldn't improve one's mana quality, and in turn, does not increase combat power. It was the major reason why people turned away from it.
"Alright, that should do the trick." ［Grey］
Grey headed back to Yuna as soon as he confirmed that the men were no longer a threat to them. Coincidentally, Yuna has also finished asking the young girl about what had happened.
According to her, the young girl, named Eliza, with her maid, Rosa, and their guards, were on their way to pick up a dress they ordered a few days ago, but as they were passing by the alley, one of the men suddenly grabbed Eliza.
The guards tried to fight back, but because of the difference in numbers, it became difficult for them to fight while protecting Rosa and Eliza. That's why while they were holding back the assaulters, they asked Rosa to escape with Eliza. Little did they know, there were others laying on wait in the other side of the alley.
They managed to run for some time, but they eventually ran out of stamina and their legs collapsed to the ground. In order to protect Eliza from the assaulters, Rosa used her body as a shield. A few seconds after that, Yuna and Grey arrived and knocked the assaulters out, which brings them to the current situation.
From the story alone, Grey could already infer that the young girl was a daughter of someone influential. After all, no normal person has a maid and is protected by armed bodyguards.
Just like Grey had predicted, the moment he used his "Judgement" to check the young girl's identity, it showed the name "Eliza von Landevar". She was the daughter of Moterno's lord.
While they were technically also nobles, being involved in an authentic noble's affairs was enough to make Grey's head hurt. He could already imagine how much trouble they will get into.
"So, umm... Miss Eliza, do you have any idea why they attacked you?" ［Grey］
While Grey already knew the young girl's identity, he still referred to her as "Miss" and not "Lady". After all, the girl has yet to reveal her true identity to them. Grey wanted to respect the girl's decision.
"... No... But my father probably knows!" ［Eliza］
"Your father, huh..." ［Grey］
The young girl thought long and hard for a reason but it was all for naught. Luckily, she knew someone who might have an idea. It was her father, the town lord.
"You there! What are you doing to Lady Eliza!?" ［Guard 1］
"If you don't want to get hurt, get away from her!" ［Guard 2］
"Ah! It's not like that! They're my saviors!" ［Eliza］
Eliza's guards suddenly arrived out of nowhere and pointed their weapons towards Grey and Yuna, ready to strike at any given moment.
Luckily, Eliza managed to resolve the misunderstanding before things got ugly and out of hand. Her words made the guards loosen up and lower down their weapons immediately.
"Ah! We apologize for our rudeness!" ［Guard 1］
"Don't worry about it... Ah, but first, could you take care of those guys for us? And also, please take care of the lady over there too." ［Grey］
Grey pointed at the unconscious men who were tied up tightly and were back against a wall. After them, he then pointed in another direction. It was the unconscious maid who had yet to wake up.
Without wasting any moment, the guards moved immediately and dragged away the assaulters towards the barracks while one of the guards gently carried the maid. There was quite a gap between their treatment.
"I already casted a sleeping spell on them, so until the duration of the spell runs out, they won't be able to wake no matter what you do to them. After that, you can do what you want with them." ［Grey］
"Ah, we'll do that. But first, we need to take the young lady back to the mansion first. Thank you for yー" ［Guard 1］
"Don't worry about that. My partner and I will take her home." ［Grey］
The guard didn't even finish expressing his gratitude when Grey cut off his words. It left the guard puzzled, unsure what to say.
Seeing as how the guards were outsmarted by the assaulters, Grey decided to see through things until the end. Yuna was also in agreement with him as she also didn't want any more harm to approach the little girl.
"We're grateful for your help, but we canー" ［Guard 1］
"Don't worry, Mister Marcus, I trust them." ［Eliza］
"But Lady Eliza..." ［Marcus］
Eliza's eyes which were full of determination gave the guard quite the dilemma. He wanted to prioritize Eliza's safety, but the former's unwavering eyes made it hard for him to respond.
Of course, no sane guard would entrust their young lady to a stranger they have just met. Even if those strangers saved the lady's life, the risk was still too high.
"If it's about our identities, then..." ［Grey］
In order to clear up the suspicion, Yuna and Grey handed their guild cards to the guard. Upon receiving it, the guard's eyes became wide open from shock. She looked at the card and the two back and forth repeatedly.
He then tried to confirm the authenticity of the cards after that with the help of a magic tool, and a few moments later...
"On the guards' behalf, I apologize for our rudeness, Your Excellencies, Count Grey, Countess Yuna! Please forgive our insolence!" ［Marcus］
... the guards bowed their heads in unison before Grey and Yuna as they asked for forgiveness. Some of the guards were even trembling just from standing in front of the two.
While Grey and Yuna were bothered by their display of formality, it was useful in the current situation. With it, an order of hierarchy was established which made it easier to deal with such situations.
"Then it's alright for us to handle this, right? Don't worry, we'll make sure to take her home safe and sound." ［Grey］
"Y-Yes!" ［Marcus］
Their voices and faces painted with reluctance, the guards were forced to give up the role of escorting their young lady home. They couldn't disobey Grey and Yuna who were much higher in terms of status and strength.
There was also the possibility of an assault happening again. They knew full well that the two young B-rank adventurers before them could protect their young lady better. It was a fact they cannot deny no matter what.
Without turning their heads back, Grey and Yuna, along with Eliza, walked away from the troubled guards and exited the alley into the marketplace. Yuna was holding Eliza's hands to make sure they didn't lose her.
"Umm... So is Elder Sister Yuna actually a noble?" ［Eliza］
"Hm? Elder Sister?" ［Grey］
"Ah... Liz calls me that." ［Yuna］
Before Grey noticed it, Yuna and Eliza had already become close enough to address each other as if they were siblings. It was the second time it happened, with the first being Vanessa's case.
Since Grey had focused his attention on casting spells towards the maid and the assaulters, he wasn't able to listen in on the two ladies' conversation. Still, they have become close too fast.
"Ah, by the way, Liz, this is my partner, Grey." ［Yuna］
"U-Umm... Nice to meet you, Elder Brother Grey. My name is Eliza von Landevar. You can call me Liz." ［Eliza］
Grey wanted to rebuke the way Eliza addresses him, but upon seeing her innocent face, he can't bring himself to do so. There was also the fact that being called "Elder Brother" had a nice ring to it.
"Nice to meet you too, Liz." ［Grey］
Grey had never had a younger sister before so being called "Elder Brother" made him a little happy. He decided to not think about it and just accept things the way they are.
"So... Elder Sister Yuna, Elder Brother Grey, about my question... Are you two really nobles?" ［Eliza］
"Well, how do I explain this..." ［Grey］
A troubled expression loomed over Grey and Yuna's face as they tried to explain the High-Rank Peerage System to Eliza, but as expected, they had a hard time. After all, they were concepts which most ten-year-olds wouldn't be able to comprehend.
But one way or another, through various means and explanations, the two were able to explain it to her. While she didn't fully understand it, they were able to get the point across and that's all that matters.
"I see... Then that means you're nobles, right?!" ［Eliza］
"Yes, but unlike true nobility, our ranks are not hereditary." ［Grey］
"Not... Hereditary...?" ［Eliza］
"It means that only you can have it, and your children won't." ［Yuna］
"Oh, I see! So it's like my mother's breasts!" ［Eliza］
""Huh...?"" ［Grey and Yuna］
A stupefied expression was painted on Grey and Yuna's face as they heard Eliza's statement. Neither of them knew how she reached such a conclusion.
"It's because even though my mother has large breasts, my older sister doesn't!" ［Eliza］
Eliza announced with a bright and innocent smile on her face which cleared Grey and Yuna's confusion. Her innocence was so bright, it was blinding.
The two have many questions inside their heads but didn't bother to ask Eliza about it. While her analogy was a little off, she was able to understand what Grey and Yuna were trying to convey.
"Ah, we're here!" ［Eliza］
Just as Grey and Yuna finished explaining the high-rank peerage system to Eliza, the group of three arrived in front of the lord's manor.
Inside the gates was a large mansion which easily dwarfed the other buildings in the vicinity. Even if one was still outside, they would be able to see how luxurious it was just by looking at the gates and the garden in front of it.
Without any hesitation, Eliza approached the gate and asked for the guards to open it for them to enter. But just as expected, the guards halted the gate's opening when they noticed Grey and Yuna.
"Forgive my rudeness, Lady Eliza, but who might these people be?" ［Guard 3］
"They're my guests!" ［Eliza］
"Uhh... Lady Eliza... You see... His Lordship has forbidden us from letting strangers inside the manor." ［Guard 3］
"Then just tell Father that I brought guests!" ［Eliza］
"Lady Eliza, that's... well... um..." ［Guard 3］
To Eliza's unwavering stance, a troubled expression soon showed in the guards' faces. Thankfully, Grey and Yuna already knew how to handle the situation.
What Grey and Yuna did was simple. They only handed their guild cards to the suspicious guards, and unsurprisingly...
"Pardon our insolence, we will notify His Lordship immediately!" ［Guard 3］
... the guards' reactions were like that. They immediately bowed their heads towards the two of them. Grey and Yuna didn't know how many times it had happened already.
Using their privileges like that, Grey and Yuna felt like what they were doing was similar to an abuse of authority. While they both felt a little guilty, it was a necessary action.
A few minutes later, the guard returned back to the gates, out of breath and sweating profusely. He then ordered the others to open up the gates and welcomed Grey and Yuna to the manor.
"Welcome back, Lady Eliza, and I bid you welcome, too, esteemed guests of the young lady and His Lordship." ［Butler］
Just when the three arrived at the mansion's main entrance, a butler politely greeted Eliza with a bow. Soon after, he then shifted his attention to Grey and Yuna, bowing again in the same manner.
⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ ［Grey］
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Sebastian
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 53
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 671 [Mana Quality] D
[Combat Power] 454 [Threat Level] D
[Attribute] Ice [Magic Proficiency] Intermediate (34%)
[Class] Swordsman [Weapon Proficiency] Intermediate (37%)
[Physical Enhancement] 40%
[Ability] 『Intuition (1☆)』
-----------------------------------
Considering the combat power of Moterno's Guildmaster, the butler could be said to be fairly strong. He was capable enough to defeat most bandits and ruffians which could threaten the lord.
Although there was one thing that Grey found fascinating, and that was the butler's name. It was exactly the same as the ones Grey had read on fictional works back when he was still on Earth.
After opening the doors for them, the butler then escorted Grey, Yuna, and Eliza to a large room where they were told to wait for the lord. There, they took a seat in a luxurious sofa,
The room was very fancy. There were paintings hanging in the walls, luxurious vases on display, and even intricate designs on the wall. One could clearly tell how gaudy the mansion was.
"Liz, your house sure is big..." ［Yuna］
"Really? But the other nobles' mansions are bigger than this." ［Eliza］
"That's amazing..." ［Yuna］
While Greu was busy inspecting the room, Yuna and Eliza had a friendly chat with each other. They talked about a lot of things, most of which were tales from Grey and Yuna's adventures.
A few moments later, the doors opened suddenly, and a middle-aged man entered the room, accompanied by the butler from before. It was the lord of Moterno.
"Father!" ［Eliza］
CHAPTER 39 END
