Meat, fish, fruits... Various odors filled the air as a cacophony of shouts and bantering accompanied them. Some were fresh, some were smoky, while some were close to indescribable. These were the odors one would smell upon going to the market.

After Grey returned, the lives of the two returned to normalcy as they continued with their daily routines. They completed quests, cooked foods, and enjoyed their leisure time. Life was smooth sailing for them.

In order to protect Yuna, Grey still hasn't mentioned the things he talked about with the Guildmaster and he will continue doing so until the time comes. But even when he had resolved himself, the fact that he was lying to Yuna was still bothering him.

It has been about a month since Grey and Yuna arrived at Galderia, and currently, the two are going around the market and buying ingredients and necessities that they need.

"We sure bought a lot." ［Yuna］

"Yeah..." ［Grey］

"What's wrong? You sound tired." ［Yuna］

"Well, it's just that... condiments really are expensive, aren't they?" ［Grey］

Unlike on Earth where everyone has access to many types of condiments, here in Merusia, some condiments like black pepper are something only rich merchants and nobles can afford.

The condiments alone cost them about a silver coin or 1,000 kiels! It was money that would take an average family about a week to save up, without spending any money. Just thinking about how expensive it was made Grey's head hurt.

It made Grey appreciate the blessings of the forest once again. Even if the ingredients were far and few in between, at least all of them are free. One only needs to replant them and they can harvest once again.

"That's true... With that amount, I could eat more than a hundred skewers." ［Yuna］

To Yuna's comment, Grey didn't know how to respond. He knew that Yuna loves eating, but he didn't think she would equate money to how much food she could eat.

But even then, Grey was still happy seeing Yuna happy while thinking about skewers. Her ears were even moving up and down along with her happy expression. Grey could only imagine what she was daydreaming about.

"Kyaaa! Help!" ［???］

As Grey was enjoying Yuna's expressions, a sudden scream from the alleyways made him and Yuna stop on their tracks.

"Grey, did you hear that?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah, sounds like someone's in trouble" ［Grey］

Without wasting any breath, Yuna and Grey ran towards the direction of the scream and tried to find its source, skillfully maneuvering themselves in the market which was bustling with people.

While running towards the source, Grey quickly stored everything they bought in the "Inventory" and activated his armament rings, making gauntlets appear and be equipped in his fists. Yuna followed suit and also equipped her daggers.

The moment the two arrived at the source of the scream, they saw three people. Two men and a woman. One of the men was lying on the ground, bleeding, while the other was holding a knife covered in blood, currently harassing the woman.

Just with a single glance, it was easy to see who were the victims and who was the attacker. Even children will know who they should stay away from in this situation.

Seeing an evil aura with his "Judgement", Grey quickly zoomed towards the man with the dagger, instantly covering the distance between them. And without any hesitation, he then delivered a punch to his torso.

Guaakkkkk

The punch connected to the man's torso, making him fly towards a wall and leave a crack on it. The punch was strong enough for the man to pass out and collapse to the ground, creating a thud sound as his mouth was filled with froth.

On the other hand, Yuna caught the woman the man was harassing, breaking her fall and ensuring her safety. Her whole body was still trembling from what just happened to her.

Grey and Yuna just made it in time. If they were any later, they could only imagine what fate would await the woman and her companion who was bleeding as he lay unconscious on the ground.

"Yuna, I'll heal the bleeding man, so can you please ask her what happened." ［Grey］

"Un." ［Yuna］

Thinking that it was best that another woman should talk to her, Grey left the trembling woman in Yuna's care as he headed to the bleeding man.

Grey reached out his hand and closed his eyes, imaging mana flow outside the body towards the surrounding. In his head, he imagined the mana stitching the man's wound and accelerating his recovery rate.

《Heal》《Rejuvenate》 ［Grey］

Warm light glistened from Grey's hand as he casted the spell. Soon enough, the stab wound on the man's torso quickly closed and started to heal. And a few more seconds later, the wound disappeared as if it was never there to begin with.

The first spell healed the man while the second spell reproduced everything that was lost such as blood and other bodily fluids. Shortly after, the man's pale complexion started to turn into a healthier one and his breathing started to stabilize. He was now out of danger.

With the man's condition steadily stabilizing, Grey went back to Yuna and asked her what she learnt about what happened.

Apparently, the two who were harassed were rookie adventurers who just registered a few days ago. And just like most young adventurers, they registered in order to help their families earn a living.

During the times they process the completion of their quests, the man with the knife would always look at the woman with lecherous eyes. Knowing the difference in their ranks, the two ignored this and did not report it to the guild in fear of being harmed by the said man.

Little did they know, the man planned on ambushing them on their way back to the inn they were staying at. They tried to fight back but it was useless and the woman's companion ended up being stabbed by the lecherous man.

A few moments later, Grey and Yuna arrived at the scene and Greu ended up knocking the lecherous man unconscious. Those were the events which lead to the current situation.

Just thinking about the man's motive, Grey and Yuna couldn't help but be disgusted. Especially Grey since it made him remember the incident where he lost self control because of some scumbags.

"U-Umm... Thank you for saving us! I will never forget this debt!" ［Woman］

"Don't worry about that. More importantly, you should rest your body somewhere. Umm... Yuna, could you take these two to the hospital?" ［Grey］

"Yeah... but... you're not going with us?" ［Yuna］

"Well, someone still needs to take this scumbag to the guards. Don't worry, since I'll be heading to the adventurer's guild to report afterwards, we could just meet up there afterwards." ［Grey］

"I see... Then I'll see you later." ［Yuna］

"Sure." ［Grey］

With a wave of their hands, the two said their goodbyes to one another as they parted ways, heading to their respective destinations.

Yuna and the woman each lent a shoulder to carry the unconscious man, while Grey grabbed the scumbag in his collar and dragged him towards the guard's barracks. It was a sight which garnered the attention of many people, especially when they just exited a suspicious looking alley.

"Haah... Seriously, what a scumbagー Hm?" ［Grey］

As Grey lifted the unconscious man he was dragging willy-nilly, he recognized a familiar and hateful face. It was the face belonging to one of the drunk adventurers which harassed Yuna a few weeks ago.

After the incident that day, those drunkard adventurers rarely showed up the guild anymore. There were various rumors about it but the most prominent one was that they have transferred to another city after receiving such humiliation.

Grey also thought it was the case, but seeing that one of them were still going around the city and harassing people, it seems like that was not the case.

Just remembering how those drunkards harassed Yuna before and Yuna's trembling body afterwards, Grey's blood started to boil, if he could, he would have already beaten the man until he was satisfied.

"Umm, Grey? What the heck are you doing with that man?" ［Dale］

Dale asked as he pointed to the man Grey was dragging nonchalantly. It wasn't only Dale, the other guards besides him were also curious.

The guards came when they heard there was some sort of harassment going on, but when they saw the said harassment, it was so absurd that they didn't know how to respond.

Grey quickly cleared the unpleasant misunderstanding after he carefully explained the events which lead to the current situation. Thankfully, the guards were able to understand it quickly.

"I... I see... Then we're thankful for stopping the crime, but next time, please do it in a less conspicuous way." ［Dale］

"Well, I am hoping there won't be a next tiー" ［Grey］

"Huh!? Where am I? Unhand me, you bastard!" ［Scumbag］

Before Grey could finish his words and hand over the scumbag to the guards, the scumbag regained consciousness and started to throw a tantrum, struggling like a fish out of the water.

Taking that opportunity, Grey once again delivered a good blow towards his torso and knocked him out unconscious once again. He felt strangely refreshed when he felt his punch hit the man as he was able to blow some frustration away.

To his sudden punch, the guards flinched from surprise, and seeing the scumbag pass out instantly, all of them were at a loss for words. It all happened in the flash that they somehow felt pity for the scumbag.

"Sorry if I surprised you." ［Grey］

"""Y-Yeah..."""" ［Guards］

With the man "sleeping" in peace once again, Grey handed the scumbag to the guards, but the moment one of the guards carried the scumbag on his shoulder, some things dropped from the man's pocket.

Money, rings, and a variety of small things fell out. But amongst them, there was one which had caught Grey's eyes. It was a jet black orb with strange engravings covering every inch of its surface.

'Hm? Isn't this.... 《Appraisal》!' ［Grey］

-----------------------------------

【Magic Tool】

【Name】Enslavement Orb

【Grade】C

【Description】

An item which can enslave beasts and restrict their movements only to the master's command. The success and duration of the enslavement will depend on the strength of the user and the grade of the orb. Failure in enslavement will cause the beast to be agitated and rampage.

-----------------------------------

Lightning struck Grey's mind as he read the orb's description. Without a doubt, it was the magic tool the perpetrator organizations used in order to cause the beast-related incidents.

Questions like "Why are these beasts here?", "Who brought them here?" , and "Who is behind this?" have been answered and many pieces have been brought together. Everything finally made sense.

All this time, they have been searching for the perpetrator of the beast incidents high and low. He never thought they were just hiding under his nose all along.

All of those thoughts flashed inside of Grey's mind in less than a fraction of a second, and before the orb fell towards the ground, Grey caught it swiftly without any of the guards noticing.

"Then, I'll be going now. I'll leave the case to your capable hands." ［Grey］

"You can rest assured, and thank you for catching this bastard for us." ［Dale］

With the orb in his hand, Grey quickly headed towards the Adventurer's guild in order to report his findings to the Guildmaster. He hoped in his heart that with it, they would finally be able to solve the case.

If everything goes well, the guild might be able to interrogate the scumbag in the barracks and find out about the evil organization behind all the beast incidents and the disaster they brought to the kingdom.

"Miss Tilda, can you get the Guildmaster for me? Just tell him I've got something urgent to discuss with him, he'll understand it if you tell him." ［Grey］

"Ah... Sure." ［Tilda］

Even when she was still confused, Tilda quickly left for the Guildmaster's office. Soon after, she came back with the permission from the Guildmaster, allowing audience with Grey.

"Haah... Haah... Mister Grey... the Guildmaster told me... you can head to the office immediately.... Haah..." ［Tilda］

When Tilda came back, she was already out of breath from all the running. She was sweating buckets and her legs were slightly trembling. She had pushed herself too far at the thought of how urgent the news was.

"M-Miss Tilda, are you alright?" ［Grey］

"Y-Yeah... I just need to... catch my breath... Go on, now... the Guildmaster is... Haah... waiting..." ［Tilda］

"Tilda, here's some water." ［Receptionist］

"Ah, t... thank you..." ［Tilda］

Seeing another receptionist take care of Tilda, Grey became relieved and quickly headed to the Guildmaster's office. He made a mental note to pay back Tilda when the day comes.

Knock Knock Knock

Three consecutive knocks echoed inside the Guildmaster's office as Grey lightly hit the door with the back of her fingers.

"Come in." ［Gaston］

When Grey entered, he was greeted by the Guildmaster's serious face. He was subconsciously emitting a domineering aura as he anticipated Grey's report. He didn't know if he should expect good news or bad news.

But rather than words, Greu just quietly approached the Guildmaster's desk and grabbed a mysterious item from his "Inventory". It was the enslavement orb he had picked earlier.

"This is...?" ［Gaston］

"It may be the key to solving this case." ［Grey］

Gaston became greatly shaken from hearing Grey's response. His body was slightly trembling and his eyes opened wide as if he just heard an incredible news.

Carefully and accurately, Grey explained to the Guildmaster what the use of the orb was and who was the one carrying the orb. It was great news which could progress the case by leaps and bounds.

"Guildmaster, maybe with this, we could finally solve the beast incidents!" ［Grey］

"Beast incidents? Grey, what is this all about...?" ［Yuna］

But as the two celebrated the possible progress of the case, Yuna suddenly came in and overheard the end of the conversation.

Although she only heard the final bits, Yuna was smart enough to figure out that it was something Grey had been keeping her in the dark. And knowing Grey, she knew he only lied to her to protect her.

With the dots all connected, Yuna got some vague idea about what Grey and the Guildmaster were talking about before she came.

When Yuna arrived at the guild, Tilda told her where Grey was, and Tilda, assuming that Yuna was involved with the urgent meeting Grey was talking about, let Yuna in and told her to head towards the office, which brings us to the current situation.

The moment Grey saw Yuna, it was as if his heart had stopped beating. He was so excited from the thought of clearing the case that he didn't even notice Yuna approach the office. It was a total mistake on his part.

"Haah... I'll lend you my office. I'll be heading to the barracks to check on the situation. Make sure to fix this before I come back." ［Gaston］

The moment the Guildmaster sensed the gravity of the situation, he quickly went out and headed to the barracks. He was considerate enough to let Grey and Yuna talk things over.

"The beast incidents you were talking about... Does it have something to do with what happened three years ago?" ［Yuna］

Her body trembling, Yuna asked Grey a question as she tried to stop herself from crying.

Grey on the other hand remained silent as he thought of a way to explain things to Yuna, but it was to no avail. No matter how much he thought, it was clear that he was at fault.

All Grey could do was nod silently to affirm Yuna's suspicions, making the latter tremble even harder as she tried to remain as calm as she can be.

"Why... Why didn't you tell me...?" ［Yuna］

Yuna asked as she slowly closed the distance between her and Grey. But still, Grey remained silent.

"Those days when you were away... Was it also a part of this...?" ［Yuna］

Grey nodded silently as Yuna finally closed the distance between the two of them. And at this point, tears have also started to leak from Yuna's eyes.

"Why... Grey, answer me!" ［Yuna］

Her voice full of frustration, Yuna weakly pounded Grey's chest with the side of her fists. Grey's heart was aching at the sight of her crying face.

"How could I hurl such an innocent girl?" he thought to himself as tears continued to trickle down Yuna's face. She has already become a sobbing mess.

"I... I just wanted to protect you..." ［Grey］

"Protect me?! Grey, I am your partner! No matter how painful or how hard it is, it is my right to know! I am no longer a child! Stop being so overprotective of me! I am not the same child you saved years ago!" ［Yuna］

Each word coming from Yuna's mouth stabbed Grey's heart like a sharp knife. He couldn't deny any of her words as all of them were correct. Yuna had already grown into an admirable lady before she noticed it.

No matter how hard one tries to protect someone else, there will come a time when that someone else will need to experience pain and harm to grow. That's just how people are.

"I'm sorry..." ［Grey］

Those two words were the only thing Grey could muster towards Yuna's complaints. There was nothing else he could do but apologize.

Of course, Yuna also understood Grey's actions. She knew that he did it in consideration to her feelings. She knew he only did it for her sake, for the sake of protecting his partner.

She was happy that Grey cared deeply for her, but was sad that Grey didn't find her reliable enough to the point that he hid those things from her. She was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions that she didn't know what to feel.

But being in love with Grey, she could barely think straight. Even if she wanted to, she could not bring herself to hate him. Rather, she felt her heart sinking deeper into the unknown depths of love.

It was then that Yuna realized how crazy love was. It was as if she had two consciousnesses. Her brain tells her to get angry, but her heart tells her otherwise. She was now in a state of shock and confusion.

But at the end, her heart overpowered her rationality. Even if she was hurt today, she was still willing to forgive, and even if she were to be hurt again, she would still forgive him once again. That's just how crazy love is.

"Next time... Promise me, like the time you promised me years ago... That you will never lie to me again... That you will never leave me in the dark again... And that you will rely on me like I rely on you... Promise me..." ［Yuna］

She buried herself in Grey's chest, afraid that Grey would see an unruly side of her. She was trying to stay strong but the dam stopping her tears were already broken. She was now bawling her eyes out.

In her voice, there was a trace of melancholy and disappointment which danced in the wind like the fireflies in the night. And deep in his heart, Grey swore to never make Yuna cry again.

"I promise..." ［Grey］

His words conveyed two meanings. It was a response to both Yuna's words and his oath to himself. Never again will he make the same mistake.

As she cried, Grey just stood there silently as he lent his chest to her, just letting Yuna let all her frustrations out through her tears. He was happy that Yuna found it inside her heart to forgive him.

To love is to hurt others... To love is to hurt yourself... To love is to understand... To love is to forgive... To love is to learn from your mistakes... For love is an unreasonable force, no matter how hard you try, you will never understand it.

CHAPTER 25 END