Chapter 52: Chapter 51: The Phantom

The scent of greenery filled the large forest as the pleasant breeze swept through every nook and cranny. The peaceful chirping of the birds and rustling of the leaves produced a relaxing sensation as it filled the beholder's ears.

In that peaceful forest, a little child merely at the age of ten was swinging her sword skillfully, hacking down the goblins she met along the way. It was Eliza and she was once again training with Grey and Yuna.

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

One after the other, Eliza's spells cut off the goblins' heads, sending them flying to the air. Moments later, the goblins' corpses vanished into thin air and turned into valuable mana crystals.

It has been a couple of days since the knights arrived, and as per usual, Grey and Yuna, along with Eliza, have been continuing their daily lives of picking up quests and training diligently.

After the knights were defeated in two consecutive practice matches against Grey and Yuna, they were made to run a lap around Moterno, which, with just a rough estimate, should be at least 20 kilometers long.

It didn't just end there either. Every single day, the knights would be ordered to perform laps and train harder than before. None of them complained as they also wanted to get stronger after experiencing such crushing defeats.

As for Eliza, she has now been training for two weeks. While she is still at H-rank, she wouldn't lose to any adults in terms of combat power. On the contrary, she would even be able to beat them easily.

After fighting goblins for that amount of time, Eliza has mastered how to fight against them. She would even be able to handle more than a dozen goblins all by herself. It was a huge improvement.

"Hmm... Grey, Liz has grown a lot, hasn't she?" ［Yuna］

"Yeah. I'm wondering if we should make her fight stronger opponents now that she can handle goblins perfectly." ［Grey］

"I also think that's a good idea... Liz～!" ［Yuna］

Hearing Yuna's voice, Eliza turned around and responded with a smile, skipping her steps as she approached Grey and Yuna. She had finished collecting mana crystals and placed them inside her pouch.

After she approached them, Grey and Yuna quickly explained what they wanted to do about her training. Eliza didn't even think too much and quickly responded with an "Un!" immediately.

While most children would be scared to fight monsters, there was no trace of fear on Eliza's face. Rather, she was happy that she could enjoy her time with Grey and Yuna even if it was only training.

"Are you ready, Liz?" ［Grey］

"Un!" ［Eliza］

⟨⟨Summon: Trentling⟩⟩ ［Grey］

A crack appeared on the ground as Grey casted his spell. Soon after, a small tree about the height of an adult man sprouted from it. The tree then started moving like a fish out of water and lashed its branches recklessly.

Trentlings are plant-attribute elemental monsters which are the lower ranked kin of treants. They are H-rank just like goblins, but are much more powerful. They are especially hard to kill with how tough they are.

⟨⟨Water Blade!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

As soon as she saw her enemy, Eliza immediately tried to cut down the trentling with a water spell, but because of the trentling's tough exterior, the spell was only able to graze it.

The purpose of her fighting was not just to fight a strong opponent, but also to learn that not all opponents are the same. It was for Eliza to learn that adapting to the situation quickly is one of the most important things a fighter should learn.

Seeing that her spell didn't work, Eliza grabbed the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it. By the time the trentling was in her range, she was ready to engage in close quarters combat.

Eliza brandished her sword left and right, wounding the trentling as time passed, but the trentling did not just stand around and let itself get cut down, it also tried to counterattack.

The trentling lashed out its branches in an attempt to land a hit on her, but everytime it did, Eliza would successfully parry it with her sword. And when the trentling's guard was finally down...

⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

A horizontal slash struck the trentling's flack, hacking away quite a proportional amount of its body. Unluckily, the trenling only suffered a large amount of damage and didn't die.

⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

Eliza didn't let her momentum die down and struck the trentling again and again. She didn't just strike recklessly either as everytime she lands a blow, she always hits the same area over and over again.

The trentling fought back in a much fiercer manner, but Eliza parried its lashing branches without much trouble. She even managed to  cut some of its branches, making it unable to fight back.

⟨⟨Heavy Slash!⟩⟩ ［Eliza］

As Eliza delivered the final blow, the trentling was cut down like a tree felled by an axe. Without much resistance, the trentling fell to the ground, and moments later, it turned back into mana and melted into the air.

"Haah... Haah... Haah..." ［Eliza］

When the trentling was defeated, Eliza collapsed on her knees and was audibly grasping her breath. She has poured almost all her mana into her precious attacks that mana exhaustion.

Yuna, like a worried older sister, quickly gave her water to drink and then wiped away her sweat. Grey also casted recovery magic spells just to make sure she didn't feel any sort of discomfort.

"Hehe... Elder Sister Yuna, it's ticklish!" ［Eliza］

"Oh? Is our Liz's waist ticklish?" ［Yuna］

"No! Hehehe... Elder Sister... hehehe... Yuna! Stop it! Hehehe..." ［Eliza］

Seeing Eliza giggle as she wiped away the sweat on her waist, Yuna teased the little girl by tickling her sides. The little girl in question was laughing so much that tears started to form on her eyes.

Grey only watched the scene with warm eyes as a gentle smile formed on his face. It made him wonder how Yuna would react if he also tickled her, but such a dangerous thought was quickly dismissed with a flick of his own fingers.

Thankfully, neither Yuna nor Eliza noticed his sudden behavior as they were busy playing with one another. Otherwise, it would surely arouse suspicions.

"Elder Sister Yuna, you meanie..." ［Eliza］

Eliza mumbled in a low voice as she pouted under the shade of a large tree. Yuna had already finished tickling her and now, she is recovering from laughing too much. Her stomach was hurting because of it.

Seeing Yuna act like that made Grey realize that she has become more playful than before. She is no longer very meek, though it might just be because she is very close with Eliza.

"Aww, Liz, don't say that. I was only teasing you, you know?" ［Yuna］

"Mouu... But Elder Sister Yuna had gone too far..." ［Eliza］

"Then how about I cook you something delicious later as an apology...? Will you forgive me?" ［Yuna］

"... I also want to cook with you... And with Elder Brother Grey, too.." ［Eliza］

Yuna tried to appease Eliza's pouting with food but rather than it, what Eliza wanted more was to cook with her and Grey. She wanted to spend more time with them while she still could.

Hearing it, Grey and Yuna's hearts overflowed with happiness. If her wish was so that they could spend more time with her, they have no reasons to decline. They also felt the same thing.

"I guess we'll be needing a lot of ingredients then." ［Grey］

"Did you hear that, Liz? Let's try our best for dinner, okay?" ［Yuna］

"Un!" ［Eliza］

With all things settled, the three of them then have a hearty lunch as they chatted and laughed with one another. After lunch, it was time to continue Eliza's training with a couple of bouts against trentlings.

It was already late in the afternoon when they finished, and in that short amount of time, Eliza was able to reach the level where she could stand equal grounds against any H-rank adventurer.

When they returned to town, they were greeted by Gil and Hal. While they were initially dumbfounded that the young lady was training in the wild, they have come to get used to it and now treat it as a normal thing.

"Did you finish your training, Lady Eliza?" ［Gil］

"Un!" ［Eliza］

"Did you have fun?" ［Hal］

"I did! I was able to beat trentlings!" ［Eliza］

"I see, I see, you sure have becー..... Haaah?!" ［Hal］

Because of Eliza's sudden declaration, Gil and Hal's jaws dropped to the ground from shock and confusion. If their eyeballs popped out of their skulls, then it would have been a cartoonish scene.

It was a normal reaction considering the fact that Eliza has only been training for two weeks. After all, even students at the Royal Academy wouldn't be able to achieve such feats in a month, much less in two weeks.

"Wasn't it just supposed to be slimes?!" ［Hal］

"Lady Eliza, you're not hurt, are you?!" ［Gil］

"U-Umm..." ［Eliza］

"Wait, do you have any wounds?!" ［Gil］

"Bruises? Scratches? Blisters?" ［Hal］

"I'm fine, reー" ［Eliza］

"What if you got poisoned?! No, we should get you treated immediately!" ［Gil］

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Because they were worried about Eliza's safety, Gil and Hal started bombarding her with questions about her current status. Eliza even tried to respond, but it was useless. They were too worried about her.

It took a few minutes for the two to settle down with intervention from Grey and Yuna. The two quickly apologized as soon as they realized how much trouble they caused for Grey and Yuna.

"Umm... Mister Gil, Mister Hal, you really don't have to worry about me. After all, Elder Brother Grey and Elder Sister Yuna were there to protect me." ［Eliza］

"Ah, right..." ［Gil］

"Well, they are the Grim Reaper and the Phantom, after all." ［Hal］

"Phantom...?" ［Eliza］

Yuna tilted her head in confusion as she heard Hal's statement. While one of the names was familiar, the other one was new to their ears. It was the first time the three of them heard it.

"It's what the knights called Lady Yuna after the practice match a couple of days ago. Apparently, none of them were able to see Lady Yuna when you attacked. They said it was as if they were fighting a phantom." ［Gil］

"They also said that in less than a minute, all of them were defeated and that Lady Yuna didn't even break a sweat. The rumor has now even spread throughout the soldiers and the guild." ［Hal］

"That's true! I saw it all with my eyes! Elder Sister Yuna was amazing!" ［Eliza］

Hearing the stories about the Yuna's practice match with the knights, Eliza started singing praises for her. She was like a proud younger sister who just saw her elder sister perform on stage for the first time.

Yuna on the other hand...

"The Phantom..." ［Yuna］

... was frozen in awe after learning about her nickname. She stayed like that for a few seconds as she digested the new information just thrown at her.

Contrary to Grey who is still cringing at the nickname he earned, Yuna was acting the opposite way. After all, she has also been yearning for a nickname ever since Grey got his.

"Grey, I got a cool nickname!" ［Yuna］

Before Grey even noticed, Yuna had already approached him closely, and cheerfully relayed her excitement towards the matter with a bright smile blooming on her equally bright face.

Yuna's movements were so sudden that Grey quickly became flustered by it, making her heart race. He became really conscious with Yuna's face being too close to his.

"Ah, I'm happy for you." ［Grey］

"Really...? But you're acting a little odd." ［Yuna］

"Ah, that's because..." ［Grey］

"Because...?" ［Yuna］

"Y... You're too... close..." ［Grey］

She might have not noticed it, but Yuna was so close that Grey could clearly hear her breathing. And since Grey was already aware of his feelings for her, he can't stop himself from getting flustered.

"Ah! S-S-Sorry!" ［Yuna］

When she noticed, Yuna immediately backed off and her face instantly became beet red. She was even more flustered than Grey as she was the one who carelessly approached him.

Grey, being the somewhat dense bag of bricks that he is, only thought of it as a normal reaction from a teenage girl. Although somewhere in his heart, he hoped that Yuna really was also conscious of him.

"D-Don't worry, I'm not really bothered by it or anything." ［Grey］

That was a big fat lie.

We all know how Grey feels about Yuna and we also all know how flustered his heart and mind were. In fact, he was so flustered, he felt like his heart might explode at any given moment.

"I-I see... Ah, Liz, you're hungry, right? How about we head back to the mansion and prepare dinner now?" ［Yuna］

"O... kay...?" ［Eliza］

Embarrassed by what she just did without much thought, Yuna tried to quickly change the conversation and asked Eliza to go home with her with the pretext of preparing for dinner.

While the two were heading first... Grey couldn't help but notice Gil and Hal looking at him with large grins plastered on their faces. Hal even gave him a thumbs up as if he was supporting him.

Without making eye contact with Gil and Hal once again, Grey quickly followed Yuna and Eliza's lead and also headed back to the mansion. But throughout the whole walk, neither Yuna and Grey didn't say a word to each other.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Yuna quickly headed to the kitchen with Eliza and started preparing dinner. While they had previously agreed that it would be the three of them cooking dinner, it was too much for Grey and Yuna at the moment.

Being left alone, Grey decided to head early towards the dining room. There, he met the familiar figure of a large and muscular man also waiting for dinner to be served.

"Oh, Lord Grey, you're back. How was your day?" ［Gustav］

It was Gustav who, after A few days of interaction, got a little closer to Grey and Yuna. After knowing more about him, Grey finally understood where Eliza inherited her energy from. It was from her mother's side.

Although Grey was bothered by how Gustav addresses him, he couldn't do anything about it. When he asked him to just call and refer to him casually just like Fritz does, he responded "I can't do something as rude as that, after all, Lord Grey is a noble of his own right, while I myself am just a humble knight".

Although he was of noble descent, Gustav is not yet the head of his family, meaning that he does not have a peerage rank himself and was just a knight. Although the privilege and authority of a Lt. Commander equals that of a baron's, Grey's rank was still higher.

While Grey had managed to convince the ever so stiff Kurt to address him casually, Gustav is someone who respects the hierarchy very highly. He has even more respect for people who have gained their own ranks with their own strength.

"Ah, good evening, Sir Gustav. It was fine. Liz also made some progress today, I appreciate you asking." ［Grey］

"Oh, really? Then just for reference, how strong is Liz right now?" ［Gustav］

"Hmm... Just today, she was able to beat about 5 trenlings in a one-against-one match without losing a single time." ［Grey］

"Trentlings!? But didn't she start training just two weeks ago!?" ［Gustav］

Shock. That was the only expression Gustav wore after hearing Grey's words. He was the same shocked face as Gil and Hal when they also learnt about how strong Eliza has become.

"Well, that's because Liz is a talented child." ［Grey］

"No, no, even if she is, it would have still taken her at least two or three months to do so. It must have been because of how you and Lady Yuna taught her." ［Gustav］

"You're exaggerating, Sir Gustav." ［Grey］

"No, it only makes sense since even though Lord Grey and Lady Yuna are so young, you two are already at a level where not even a whole chivalric order could fight against you. You two are without a doubt the reason for Liz's growth." ［Gustav］

"Ahahaha..." ［Grey］

In response to Gustav's comments, Grey could only give off a dry laugh, just showing how on point the former was. Grey couldn't find a way to deny what he said no matter how hard he thought.

Well, Eliza's talent couldn't be laughed at either. Her sponge-like mind which could easily absorb Grey and Yuna's teaching was also a major player on how impressive her growth was.

"Say, Lord Grey, how did you get this strong at such a young age?" ［Gustav］

"..." ［Grey］

"Ah! If it's a secret, you don't have to tell me. I apologize for prying." ［Gustav］

"Ah, no, it's  not that it's a secret, it's more like it's so simple that you might not even believe me. Truthfully, I just trained as if my own life depended on it, and fought against real opponents in order to get real combat experience. I repeated that day after day, and before I knew it I already became this strong." ［Grey］

Silence filled the room as Grey stated his words. Gustav, who was on the receiving end couldn't help but gawk in amazement after hearing how absurd yet effective Grey's training methods were.

But even though what Grey said wasn't a lie, it wasn't the full truth either. While having real battles is more effective than just training, the knowledge God imprinted on him played a big role, too. Not that he could say it outright to Gustav either.

"I see... So real battle experience, huh..." ［Gustav］

"Sorry if my answer was too simple." ［Grey］

"No, it's very really helpful. Right now, our soldiers are only being trained with drills and practice matches. Being in a life and death situation might help them, though it's very risky so I don't think we'll adapt this teaching style anytime soon." ［Gustav］

A sigh of relief left Grey's mouth as he heard Gustav's words. After all, he could only imagine the amount of lives lost if they ever adapted his idea. It was a method only those who are insane enough should try.

"Ta-da!" ［Eliza］

Just as Grey and Gustav's conversation ended, Eliza and Yuna, along with Rhodes, entered the dining room with the other chefs. Soon enough, the table was filled up with appetizing and beautiful dishes.

When Grey coincidentally made eye contact with Yuna, the latter suddenly jolted and turned her head away from him. It was clear that she was still embarrassed about what just happened in the afternoon.

Minutes later, Fritz and the others joined in in the dining room and all of them had yet another hearty meal together. Though during the whole meal, Yuna still won't look at Grey.

'Haah... I just wish we won't be like this tomorrow. I really do.' ［Grey］

Grey sighed deep inside his heart as he hoped for a better tomorrow. After all, no matter how embarrassed or flustered he becomes, he still wants to see the face of the girl that he fell in love with.

CHAPTER 51 END

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