It was a peaceful morning. The gentle light from the sun brought light to the new day once again as the leaves swayed in the wind and the scent of flowers from the garden wafted around the manor.

"Aaaaahh!!" ［Eliza］

The only thing which stood out was Eliza's loud scream as it echoed throughout the whole mansion. Rather than the chirping of the birds, her loud and high-pitched scream was the one which woke up Grey and Yuna.

It wasn't just Grey and Yuna, everyone in the mansion had been alerted with Eliza's sudden scream. Even the two who had just woken up immediately became alert as they headed towards the little girl's room

Fearing that something bad happened to Eliza, the two utilized their full speed. They both equipped their trusty weapons, ready to cut down any enemy who dared to harm the little girl.

"Grey, do you detect anyone?!" ［Yuna］

"No, I could only sense Liz." ［Grey］

But even when Grey had utilized his "Heaven's Eye", he couldn't sense any other person present in Eliza's room. The only one he could sense was Eliza who seemed to still be tucked on her bed and not moving even a single inch.

The two became increasingly worried as they thought that a curse was affecting Eliza rather than an assault. They didn't want to waste a single moment, fearing what effects that curse might have.

"Elder Brother Grey... Elder Sister Yuna... Help me... It really hurts...!" ［Eliza］

Eliza pleaded to Grey and Yuna with tears trickling down her face as she tried her best to not move her body. Her face was cramping from pain as she pleaded towards the two.

It wasn't an assault nor a curse which was making Eliza scream in pain. Rather, she was screaming because of the muscle pains she was experiencing.

It was the second day since Eliza had fought against a goblin, and due to what she experienced, she had pushed herself during the training yesterday. Even when Grey had already casted a recovery spell, it seems that it was not enough as it came biting back.

When Yuna and Grey saw that spectacle, they were dumbfounded by it. After all, they were so scared that something happened to Eliza, but as it turned out, it was only just muscle pains.

At the very least, they were relieved that nothing dangerous happened to her. They could only shake their heads and heaved sighs as they looked at the pitiful little girl who was experiencing muscle pains.

"Uuu... It hurts..." ［Eliza］

"Alright, just stay still... ⟨⟨Heal⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Recuperate⟩⟩." ［Grey］

As light shone from Grey's palm, Eliza's cramping face slowly began to ease as the pain started to subside. It only took a few seconds for the pain to fully get away. It was as if it was just a lie.

Healing Eliza's pain, Grey could remember the times when he has still yet to learn holy magic. Every time he overexerted himself, he had to experience hell of pain. He could only persist through such pain without recovery magic.

Yuna didn't have to experience such difficulties as Grey had already learned a few holy magic spells at the time they met each other. It was an experience Yuna could not fully relate to.

"Th-Thank you, Elder Brother Grey..." ［Eliza］

"It's alright, just make sure to not overexert yourself next time. Otherwise, you might experience an even worse pain." ［Grey］

"Worse...?" ［Eliza］

A trace of despair appeared on Eliza's face as she heard Grey's word. The pain she had experienced was already overbearing. She could only imagine what "worse" than that could feel.

"Lady Eliza! Are you alright?!" ［Sebastian］

Just as Yuna was wiping away Eliza's tears, Sebastian, along with a couple of guards arrived in front of Eliza's room. They were all armed and ready to engage in combat.

"Don't worry, it was just muscle pains." ［Grey］

"Oh... I... see..." ［Sebastian］

While Sebastian was a little dumbfounded, he quickly regained his composure and sent away the guards after confirming the current state of affairs. The guards left with relieved looks on their faces as they went back on their duties.

"Is Lady Eliza alright now?" ［Sebastian］

"Yeah, I already applied some healing and recovery magic on her." ［Grey］

"Thank goodness..." ［Sebastian］

A sigh of relief left Sebastian's mouth as he heard Grey's response. While he was not related to Eliza by blood, having watched her grow up, she was already like a daughter to him.

"Still... It's amazing how quick your responses are, Lord Grey, Lady Yuna. You managed to arrive here very quickly." ［Sebastian］

"Well, that was because we thought Liz was in danger." ［Grey］

"It also helped that our rooms weren't that far away." ［Yuna］

"I see... Still, I'm really grateful. Also, Lady Eliza, you should apologize to Lord Grey and Lady Yuna for troubling them." ［Sebastian］

"I-I'm sorry!" ［Eliza］

"Don't worry about it, Liz. It's our job, after all." ［Yuna］

Yuna patted Eliza's head as she consoled her. Even when both her and Grey's sleep were disturbed, they weren't really bothered by it. The little girl's safety was their top priority.

'Hmm... What do we do about this...' ［Grey］

Grey pondered silently. While it wasn't a hassle to head towards Eliza's room every time such a thing happens, it might disturb the whole mansion each and every time. Especially when Eliza's screams were quite the loud ones.

'Ah, right!' ［Grey］

An idea suddenly popped inside Grey's head as he remembered something. He remembered that Yuna could also use holy magic. She may not be as proficient as Grey, but it was healing magic nonetheless.

Yuna could also concoct potions or ointment which could ease the pain if ever Eliza feels muscle pains again. She was quite the expert in alchemy, after all.

"Hey, Liz, for the following nights, why don't you sleep together with Yuna." ［Grey］

"Hmm... Why all of the sudden?" ［Yuna］

"Well, so that when this happens again, Liz could just ask you to heal her muscle pains. You could also have a chat so that she won't feel lonely." ［Grey］

"That makes sense..." ［Yuna］

"Am I going to sleep together with Elder Sister Yuna?!" ［Eliza］

After Yuna nodded in response to Eliza's question, The latter jumped on the bed with excitement, contrary to how she was just a few moments ago. She was now full of energy.

And because she was so excited about the thought of sleeping together with Yuna, she monopolized Yuna and talked about what they should be doing before going to sleep. She wanted to have a slumber party.

Soon after, Fritz arrived with a pale complexion about his face, clearly worried about his daughter. He ran as fast as he could and was even out of breath just to make sure Eliza was alright.

Sebastian then escorted Fritz back to his office after he bowed his head towards Grey, Yuna, and Eliza. The two ladies didn't even notice them leaving as they were still busy with their slumber party plans.

After having their breakfasts, Grey, Yuna, and Eliza left the mansion and went to the adventurer's guild as usual. When they arrived, they then headed straight to the H-rank quest board.

The only ones left in the requests boards were permanent ones or the ones which are too bothersome for what they're worth. They were quests from villages quite the distance away from Moterno.

"Elder Brother Grey, Elder Sister Yuna, could we pick that one?" ［Eliza］

Eliza pointed to a quest not posted in the H-rank board, but rather in the G-rank board. It was something which had remained there for days.

It was made by a village located more than a dozen kilometers away from Moterno. The details of the quest tells about a goblin nest subjugation just a few hundred meters from the village, and the reward is about 500 kiels.

In most cases, monsters would spawn individually, as a group, or as a horde, where they would wander aimlessly and destroy anything on their path. There were also floods which happened after a dungeon break, like the orc horde a couple of months back.

Monster nests are a rare phenomenon formed when high concentrations of mana solidifies and forms a territory full of monsters. It can vary from a very small size to an area as large as towns and cities.

Unlike wandering monsters, monsters from a nest wouldn't stray away from it, and will kill anything that enters the territory. Time after time, the nest will expand and the monsters inside it become stronger. That's why, it is of utmost priority to destroy a nest as soon as its existence is discovered.

The only way to stop a nest from expanding is to kill the nest's leader, which is usually a higher variant of the nest's occupant monsters. Of course, the leader also grows along with the nest.

"Hmm... It should be alright, but why would you pick this, Liz." ［Yuna］

"Well, my father always says that as nobles, we must prioritize the safety of our subjects. That's why, I want to stop the monster nest from expanding before it can hurt the villagers." ［Eliza］

Although Eliza was just a ten-years-old girl, she is already being taught the duties of a noble and their responsibility towards their subjects. She was being raised in a good environment.

"Grey..," ［Yuna］

After hearing Eliza's answer, Yuna then looked at Grey with expectant eyes, obviously asking him to fulfill the little girl's request.

"Alright, alright, we'll be picking this one." ［Grey］

"Thank you, Elder Sister Yuna! Elder Brother Grey!" ［Eliza］

"Then, you two wait here. I'll just process this quickly." ［Grey］

Grey plucked out the quest from the quest board and then headed to the counter, taking the quest officially with Anna's assistance who catered to him like usual.

The three then headed to the village afterwards, and since it was quite the distance away, Grey once again took the liberty to carry Eliza on his back and ran at a comfortable speed.

"Yaay～!!" ［Eliza］

But even when Grey was running extremely fast compared to normal people, Eliza wasn't scared at all. Rather, she was just enjoying herself to the fullest as if she was riding on an amusement ride.

Minutes after they departed from Moterno, they could already see the village's silhouette from the distance, and so, we slowed down to avoid scaring the villagers. Grey and Yuna had learnt their lessons quite a while ago.

"Wait! State your purpose." ［Guard］

The three were about to enter the village when a guard stopped them in order to check their purposes. He was wearing a serious expression on his face.

"We're adventurers from Moterno, here to fulfill the goblin nest subjugation quest you posted a few days ago." ［Grey］

"Oh, I see... Then I'll guide you to the chief's house." ［Guard］

Or so the guard said, but it was obvious that he was suspicious of them. No, rather than suspicion, it was more like he was worried whether the three of them could even complete the quest.

"Chief! The adventurers are here!" ［Guard］

"Oh!" ［Chief］

Shortly after the guard knocked on the chief's house, a scrawny elderly man came out and greeted them. He was only a little older than Sebastian yet he seemed much older due to his bent posture.

"Welcome, dear adventurers we're thankful... for... your..." ［Chief］

But rather than a warm welcome, he welcomed them with despair in his eyes. It was the same expression that the guard wore on his face just a few moments ago. It was one full of concern.

Well, no one could really blame him since the ones who were in front of him were two youths who barely reached adulthood. On top of that, they also have a child who is just ten years old with them.

"If you're doubting our identity, you can check these." ［Grey］

In order to clear their suspicions, Yuna and Grey handed them their guild cards. And their reactions were just as they expected.

""We apologize for our rudeness""

Both the guard and the chief bowed their heads and apologized. They now realized the mistake they made when they judged the two youths before them. Neither of them expected that they were actually B-rank adventurers!

"Ah, please raise your heads. We're not really bothered by it anyway." ［Grey］

"Un. It will only make us feel uncomfortable." ［Yuna］

"O-Of course..." ［Chief］

"So... Can you now tell us the details of the quest?" ［Grey］

"Oh, yes! But first, I would like to invite you to my humble home, Your Excellencies." ［Chief］

Grey and company accepted the chief's invitation. After they entered the chief's house, he asked them to take a seat, and then served them some drinks. He then started telling us the quest's details.

According to him, it all started a week ago. A group of villagers were about to head too deep in the woods to harvest some herbs like they usually do, but on the way there, they discovered a goblin nest. Other than posing a threat, the nest also prevented them from harvesting necessary herbs.

About the nest, it was located about 700 meters north of the village, and the last time they checked, there were about 20 or so goblins with a hobgoblin as the nest's leader. It was a small sized one.

"Well then, we'll be going now." ［Grey］

"Are you taking this young lady with you?" ［Chief］

"Yes. But don't worry, she can hold herself" ［Grey］

"It's a part of her training after all." ［Yuna］

"I... I see..." ［Chief］

A perplexed expression loomed over the chief's face when he heard Grey and Yuna's answers. After all, no matter where one looks at it, it was an extreme method of training a 10-year-old child.

Having learnt the quest's details, they then headed to the quest's location. There, they saw a couple of primitive sheds being made, with 22 goblins in the vicinity, and a hobgoblin at the center of the nest.

Although a hobgoblin is a goblin's higher variant, it is only at the bottom G-rank. But then, the difference between a goblin and a hobgoblin's strength is vast. While a goblin is physically weaker than an average adult, a hobgoblin can take on multiple adults and still win. It's like comparing a scrawny person to a wrestling champion.

"Alright, just like usual, Liz will be the only one fighting. Yuna and I will defend Liz when it gets dangerous." ［Grey］

""Un!"" ［Yuna and Eliza］

After Grey said the plan, he and Yuna then went to position, with Grey protecting the front and the left flank, and Yuna protecting the rear and right flank. They made sure Eliza would feel safe even if she was fighting alone.

⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

When Grey and Yuna were in position, Eliza then fired a spell and hit a goblin right in the neck. Unlike before, after training her precision, Eliza was now able to kill the goblin in a single strike.

Noticing one of the goblins getting killed, the other goblins then noticed Eliza and rushed recklessly towards her. While they were doing that, Eliza prepared to fire another attack.

⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

A second attack flew through the air and struck the goblins in the utmost front right in the eyes, making it tumble and fall helplessly, losing its vision along its fall towards the solid ground.

"Haap!" ［Eliza］

Eliza didn't waste any time and struck the fallen goblin with her sword, ending the goblin's miserable life. The only thing left behind by the goblin's death was a mana crystal just a little larger than a slime's.

"21 left. Keep going, Liz." ［Grey］

"Un! ⟨⟨Water Blade⟩⟩!" ［Eliza］

Khieeeekkkkk

The third spell also hit another goblin successfully. Unfortunately, it only cut off one of the goblin's arms. The goblin only became more furious as it charged towards Eliza with eyes painted red.

The Hobgoblin also tried to fight, but Grey and Yuna made it busy by trapping it in its position. Eliza was already facing a lot of difficulties. She didn't need a hobgoblin to be added to her enemies.

⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

Hit! Hit! Hit! Hit!

Before the goblins could reach Eliza, she was able to take down three more goblins, reducing their numbers to 18. And seeing the disadvantage at casting spells in short range, she immediately switched to her sword and engaged in close combat.

Khieeeekkk

⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

As a goblin tried to attack her, Eliza released an art and instantly decapitated its head. She then twisted her body to dodge another goblin's attacks and landed a counter-attack by bashing its head with the back of her sword and delivering another art straight to its neck.

⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

After defeating 7 goblins, Eliza's pace had started to slow down. She was clearly getting tired of expending too much mana on spells and arts. Her breathing has started to get rough and unstable.

It was then that Grey and Yuna decided to join in. They first killed the hobgoblin they had trapped, and then mowed down the other goblins, only leaving behind 3 goblins for Eliza to fight against.

"Haap!" ［Eliza］

A few seconds later, Eliza managed to cut down another goblin, leaving only 2 more goblins to stay. But Eliza's condition was already that which couldn't battle. She was panting heavily

Grey and Yuna wanted Eliza to finish the job, but by the looks of it, she no longer has the capability to do so. She was even struggling to wield her sword.

Khieeekkkkk

"Shut up. ⟨⟨Air Bullet⟩⟩." ［Grey］

With a swipe of his finger, Grey sent a basic-level spell straight towards the goblins who were trying to attack Eliza. The air bullets flew straight towards the goblins' heads, killing them instantly.

Eliza on the other hand has also collapsed on the ground as she lost all her strength. Grey quickly casted a recovery spell towards her which made her breathing stable and returned a healthy complexion on her face.

"Are you feeling fine, Liz?" ［Grey］

"Un. I'm just a little tired...." ［Eliza］

Eliza replied as she finished drinking the water Yuna had previously handed her. It was important that she rehydrated with the amount of sweat she had. She was basically drenched with it.

"Alright, then as a reward for your hard work, what do you want to eat for lunch? Me and Yuna will cook it for you." ［Grey］

"R-Really?!" ［Eliza］

"Un. Just make sure you'll eat it afterwards, okay?" ［Yuna］

"Un!" ［Eliza］

With their quest finished, the three headed back towards the village to report its completion, where they were showered with praises by the chief and villagers. They then headed towards the guild afterwards to complete the process.

The lunch they had was a very hearty one. Eliza ordered all sorts of food and they made sure there wasn't any left over. Not only their stomachs, all of their hearts were full as well from laughter and happiness.

CHAPTER 45 END