ALL NOVEL Chapter 57: Zero Progress
The warm and gentle light from the morning seeped through the windows of the mansion, giving warmth to the cold stone walls as peace and quiet enveloped the whole manor. It was a pleasant day.
"Ugh... " ［Grey］
Yet despite how pleasant the morning was, Grey couldn't help himself from letting out a low groan. He was starting the day with a troublesome headache which he got from the lack of sleep.
He was not able to sleep peacefully because of his failed attempt at confessing to Yuna. Because of it, he despaired throughout the whole night as the vivid embarrassing memory kept repeating itself inside his mind.
Even when he was an S-ranker, he still couldn't escape suffering from a headache. Thankfully, he knew how to use recovery magic, and so, he wouldn't need to suffer a headache throughout the whole day.
"Cure" ［Grey］
Slowly, Grey's headache disappeared as if it was all a dream. And thanks to being a high-ranker, he felt more comfortable and energetic even when he had not gotten a single wink of sleep the whole night.
Click
Coincidentally, the moment Grey went out of his room, Yuna was also locking hers. Seeing her face so early in the morning made Grey remember what happened before. Thankfully, he was able to suppress cringing.
"Morning, Yuna." ［Grey］
"Uwaah～. Good morning..." ［Yuna］
Yuna responded to Grey's greeting with an adorable little yawn. Although not as much as Grey, Yuna also had a hard time sleeping through the night as she reflected on Aria's advice.
'...It's better to regret something than regret not doing it...'
Whilst Yuna was locking her door, a certain person's words echoed throughout Grey's mind. It was Kris' voice which was trying to remind Grey to confess to Yuna right at that moment.
It might be because there wasn't anybody or because Grey was mesmerized by Yuna's figure as she basked in the sunlight, but at that moment, Grey felt like he could actually pull it off.
"Yuna, listen... I have something to tell you." ［Grey］
Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump
Once again, Grey's heart raced like a galloping horse as he braced himself to confess. Seeing Yuna's innocent and still sleepy face, it raced even faster like a mad engine of a sports car.
"Hm? What is it?" ［Yuna］
"Umm... Iー" ［Grey］
"Lord Gre～y!" ［Rhodes］
But Grey didn't even have the chance to say even half of his words. Out of nowhere, Rhodes' booming voice echoed throughout the corridors as he rushed towards Grey. He was almost out of breath but still did his best.
Due to Rhodes' sudden interruption, Grey's momentum died off and yet another failed attempt was added to his tally. Though he really couldn't blame Rhodes as the man did so without bearing any ill will.
"Is something wrong, Mister Rhodes?" ［Grey］
"Lord Grey, I have created a dish with the use of tomato sauce! I want you to be the first one to have a taste!" ［Rhodes］
Rhodes declared enthusiastically with eyes dazzling brighter than the sun itself. He was clearly excited to show off his new creation to Grey who he looks up to as a great cook.
"Oh, Lady Yuna! Please come as well!" ［Rhodes］
"Un, sure." ［Yuna］
"Then I'll be preparing your portions. Please head towards the kitchen late, I'll be waiting for you two!" ［Rhodes］
Still wearing a happy expression on his face, Rhodes left as suddenly as he came in order to prepare what's needed to be prepared. He was very energetic even when he was just panting a while ago.
As for Grey and Yuna, they were left to their own with an awkward atmosphere about them. Well, rather than an awkward atmosphere, it was more like Grey was feeling conflicted whether to proceed with his confession or not.
"Right, Grey. What were you about to say again?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, I'll just tell you later. Why don't we head to the dining hall first?" ［Grey］
"..... Okay, sure." ［Yuna］
Yuna took a little time to answer, but she didn't ask any further questions about what Grey was going to say. After all, she was also looking forward to what kind of dish Rhodes had cooked for them.
Well, even if she was acting normally, Yuna still couldn't forget about what she and Aria talked about yesterday. And being alone with Grey didn't help at all. One could say that by heading towards the dining hall, she could escape being alone with Grey.
The two then slowly headed towards the dining hall as they chatted about some trivial things in their everyday lives. During the duration of the time, the two tried their best to not look at one another.
"Welcome, Lord Grey, Lady Yuna! Please take a seat!" ［Rhodes］
When the two arrived in the kitchen, they received a warm reception from Rhodes. On the dining table, one could easily notice a bowl filled with an orange-colored soup which was still steaming hot.
"Please have a taste." ［Rhodes］
With Rhodes' invitation, Grey and Yuna took their seats and with the use of a silver spoon, the two gently scooped a little bit of the soup Rhodes had cooked with the use of tomato sauce.
The two gently blew on the hot soup as without wasting any second, they fed themselves almost at the same time. It didn't take too long for the two of them to change expressions as a rich flavor filled their tongues.
"Delicious!" ［Yuna］
"This is amazing, Mister Rhodes!" ［Grey］
"Hehe, I'm glad the two of you liked it." ［Rhodes］
A sense of pride bloomed in Rhodes' heart as he received compliments from Grey and Yuna. He was only deserving of such compliments from being able to make a new dish in such a short amount of time.
"I'm sure everyone would like this." ［Grey］
"I feel honored to receive such praise." ［Rhodes］
"By the way, Mister Rhodes, what will you call this dish?" ［Yuna］
"I'm glad you asked, Lady Yuna." ［Rhodes］
A strange glint suddenly appeared in Rhodes' eyes as he heard Yuna's question. Grey couldn't explain it, but somehow, he felt as if something unpleasant was going to happen.
"Since I am using Lord Grey's marvelous creation, the tomato sauce. I shall name it... the Lord Grey Special Pork Stew!" ［Rhodes］
Cough Cough Cough
Due to Rhodes' sudden declaration, Grey choked on his food and coughed uncontrollably. It was then that he understood why he got such a terrible feeling as soon as he saw the light in Rhodes' eyes.
With all his power and ability, Grey tried his best to convince Rhodes to change the name and give it a more normal one. Just hearing it once was embarrassing enough. He wouldn't be able to show his face outside if such a name were to spread.
It took Grey quite a few minutes to finally convince Rhodes to change the name. It was a tough task, but Grey persevered until the end just to prevent the spreading of such an embarrassing name.
After hearing Grey and Yuna's opinions, Rhodes then headed back to the kitchen to help out the other chefs in preparing breakfast. He was heading out while wearing a satisfied expression on his face.
"Ah, right. Grey, you have something to tell me right?" ［Yuna］
"Oh, yeah..." ［Grey］
Grey had almost forgotten it, but after being reminded by Yuna, his heart started to race once again. Now that they were alone once again, he could finally confess his feelings to Yuna..
As the gentle light seeped through the large window, Grey faced towards Yuna's direction. Grey already knew it but Yuna really does shine beautifully when she is illuminated by the light.
"Iー" ［Grey］
Clang Thang Ting Langgg
One word. Grey was only able to utter one word when a sudden sound of metals crashing came echoing from the garden just outside the kitchen. His momentum was cut off once again.
The two checked the cause of such a loud commotion by checking outside the window, and what they saw were several buckets rolling on the ground. They seemed to have fallen over because of a sudden wind.
"It's just buckets, huh..." ［Grey］
"Looks like no one's hurt... Right, Grey, you were saying...?" ［Yuna］
"Ah... Actually, I forgot about it. I'll tell you later when I remember about it." ［Grey］
"Okay..." ［Yuna］
What Grey said was a big fat lie. Especially with his "Divine Mind", he wouldn't be able to forget anything so easily. He just didn't want to confess when his resolve had died down once again.
With that, we have come to a total of three failed attempts out of three attempts. It is a splendid record with a 100% failure rate. All because some unforeseen and extraneous circumstances have occurred.
After that, the dining hall has slowly gotten filled with people, all waiting patiently for breakfast. When breakfast was served, everyone had a pleasant time as they enjoyed eating with everyone. Rhodes' new creation was also served during it, and as expected, everyone took a liking to it.
Soon after breakfast, Grey, Yuna, and Eliza headed out the mansion to resume their daily routine. They first headed to the Adventurers' Guild to get a quest then headed to the quest location with Eliza riding Grey in piggyback.
"Yaay～!" ［Eliza］
And as usual, Eliza greatly enjoyed the high-speed trip. She had already experienced it quite a number of times yet she didn't get tired of the adrenaline rush and excitement she feels when riding on Grey's back.
It only took a few minutes for the three to arrive at the quest location. It was once again located in a nearby forest where they were tasked to eliminate 30 goblins from the area.
"Haap!" ［Eliza］
With a wide swing of her sword, two goblins' chests were opened up with a large wound. And with the power of Eliza's swings, the two goblins fell to the ground with their defenses down.
Eliza didn't even need Grey and Yuna's help as she subjugated the goblins. She has learnt from her past experiences how to handle them and finished them off efficiently while saving up her mana.
Meanwhile, Grey and Yuna only observed Eliza from afar, watching out for any potential danger lurking in the nearby forest. They were once again left on their own for the third time.
Of course, being alone meant that it was another opportunity for Grey to confess. Eliza may be present, but she was still engaged in combat so there was no worries of being overheard or drawing unwanted attention.
"Yuー" ［Grey］
"Elder Sister Yuna! Look, I've defeated them all!" ［Eliza］
"Oh～ Our Liz really is an amazing girl!" ［Yuna］
"Hehehe～" ［Eliza］
Yuna patted Eliza's head as she praised her for her accomplishment. She has gotten stronger and stronger with the passing of every day and it was only natural for her to receive praise.
As for Grey, he was frozen on the spot, his mind unable to process what just happened. He had miscalculated how quickly Eliza would subjugate the goblins, thus leading to the current situation.
Just like Grey's previous attempts, it was another failure. What's even worse this time was that he wasn't even able to finish a single word. He was only able to say half a word! That's right, half!
Thankfully, Eliza's voice overlapped with Grey's, and so Yuna was not able to hear him. After all, he had already run out of excuses if Yuna were to ever question him once again on what he was going to say.
"Elder Brother Grey, am I amazing?" ［Eliza］
"Yes. You're very amazing." ［Grey］
"Hehe, thank you!" ［Eliza］
Grey couldn't pin the blame on Eliza either. She was just a young girl who wanted to be praised by the people she was looking up to. There was nothing wrong with her actions. Things just weren't meant to be.
"Do you still want to continue, Liz?" ［Yuna］
"Un! I want to continue!" ［Eliza］
"Okay, then Grey, please..." ［Yuna］
"Ah, sure. Just wait a moment..." ［Grey］
With the use of Grey's "Divine Eye", he searched the vicinity for any goblins available for Eliza to fight against, and sure enough there were some located just a few hundred meters away.
It wasn't the first time Grey had done it. Every time they needed more enemies, Grey would just search for them rather than summon some, it was so that they could clear out the forest of potential threats.
It was hitting two birds with one stone. Grey wouldn't need to waste any mana and they will be able to prevent harm from befalling to others who would traverse the forest. Eliza suggested it so that she could help out the territory even a little bit.
"There's a group of goblins 260 meters north and another group at the roughly same distance east. Where would you like to go, Liz?" ［Grey］
"Umm.... East!" ［Eliza］
"Alright, east it is." ［Grey］
With their destination decided, Grey, Yuna, and Eliza then leisurely walked towards the goblins' directions, adjusting their paths every now and then every time the goblins moved positions.
The moment they arrived there, they were greeted by a bunch of seven goblins, and without wasting any time, Eliza launched her attacks and defeated the goblins in the same manner she did to the ones before them.
"Grey, there's a boar behind us." ［Yuna］
As Eliza fought against the goblins, Yuna noticed a large boar strolling behind them. It was clearly a beast judging from its size and its mana signature. Though it was a rather weak one.
"Should we hunt it?" ［Yuna］
"Hmm... Let's just leave it alone. It doesn't seem to be hostile anyway. We also have a lot of meat in store so there's no need to hunt it." ［Grey］
"I see... Okay." ［Yuna］
As Yuna nodded to Grey's answer, she wore an adorable expression on her face, making Grey's heart beat fast. He saw yet another opportunity to confess his feelings to her once again.
Of course, Grey made sure nothing could go wrong. He looked at Eliza's direction and confirmed that she was still fighting against three goblins which would take her a couple more minutes to take down.
Inside his mind, Grey heaved a lengthy sigh as he calmed down his mind and once again strengthened his resolve. His eyes were now full of string determination. But before he could even open his mouth....
Buhiiikk Thudd Crashhh
For reasons unknown, the boar suddenly rushed towards a tree, making it fall as soon as it received the impact. It made quite the loud sound too when the tree fell. It could even be heard about a hundred meters away.
Just when Grey was sure nothing could interrupt him, somehow, fate finds its way to intervene. Now, it was in the form of a boar who has nothing better to do with its life but bash trees like a mad animal.
If Kris could be considered amazing with the amount of times he confessed to Aria, Grey could also be counted as one in a different sense. After all, he already failed five times in a row. It was as if the universe itself was preventing him from doing so.
With that, Grey has finally reached his limits. He has finally snapped from all the failed attempts he had experienced since early in the morning. There were no better words to describe him other than "pissed off".
"Yuna, would you like pork for dinner today?" ［Grey］
Grey asked Yuna with a smile which wasn't quite a smile. It was such a menacing smile that even Yuna felt shivers run down her spine when she saw Grey's scary expression.
"Uh... Umm... Didn't you just say we shouldn't hunt the boar?" ［Yuna］
"I've changed my mind. It's harmful to the environment with its habit of felling trees. So what would you like? Grilled pork, pork stew, skewers, or fried pork?" ［Grey］
"Umm... Fried pork, I guess...?" ［Yuna］
"Fried pork it is. Please look forward to it at dinner." ［Grey］
Still wearing the same menacing expression, Grey approached the boar and without showing it any form of mercy, Grey delivered a single blow towards it, sending it to its creator right away.
Grey then took out his frustration on the boar's dead body as he aggressively dismantled its body parts. He felt much more refreshed the moment he finished dismantling the boar as if all his frustrations were blown away.
After that, the three continued their daily routine and finished off some more goblins. Afterwards, they headed to the guild to process the quest completion. And finally, they arrived at the mansion just before night fell,
As promised, Grey cooked an appetizing fried pork dish to fulfill his promise to Yuna. It was a dish not only Yuna, but everyone else enjoyed as they had a hearty meal together.
With the flowing of the night, all of them soon headed to their own bedrooms to retire for the day. Grey and Yuna in particular felt very satisfied as the exhaustion from the previous day was also washed away in their sleep.
For the next couple of days, Grey attempted again and again to confess his feelings for Yuna, but just like the first fay, all of the attempts were failures. He still maintained his 100% failure rate.
"Haah... Why? Just why?" ［Grey］
Grey heaved a lengthy sigh as his lifeless and empty eyes gazed outside the window. It was the night of the fifth day yet there was no progress made during that duration of time.
He didn't care anymore and just went to bed once again in order to condition his body. After all, tomorrow is quite an important day for him, Yuna, Gustav, and many more.
It will be the Labyrinth of Death's opening!
CHAPTER 57 END